Trevor Thomas is Gympie through and through

By Jordan Gerrans

Gympie’s Trevor Thomas loves nothing more than training on his home track, but he celebrated a trip to Dalby on Saturday with a winning double. 

The 53-year-old is the reigning Gympie Turf Club premiership-winning trainer and has claimed the title in two of the last three seasons. 

He furthered his bid for another premiership at the sand track late last month when Late Night Devil won in Benchmark 55 Handicap company.

Thomas took four gallopers to Dalby on Saturday.

He walked away from the Dalby and Northern Downs Jockey Club program with a winning double. 

“Gympie is a great place to train, it's quiet, very settled,” Thomas said.

“The relaxed atmosphere is a big thing.

“It's just a bit more sedate, a bit more casual and not as much pressure.

“The horses seem to thrive up here; it's just about finding the good ones.

“I just hope to train plenty of winners and keep doing what we're doing.”

Thomas originally hails from the Gympie area and spent around two decades training out of Caloundra.

He has in more recent times shifted his training base back to Gympie, while still living around the Sunshine Coast region. 

He prepares a team of around 30 and often makes the trip down to Brisbane to race his team at city level. 

Thomas was once known as the “long shot king” after often preparing big roughies to victory in town during earlier stages of his training tenure.

The popular Battle Of The Bush series is fast-approaching and is always a target for regional trainers.

Thomas believes stablemates Capiana and Revitup Charlie could both be competitive in local qualifying events ahead of the $200,000 Final, which will be run at Eagle Farm on June 27.

Capiana and Revitup Charlie headed to Dalby on Saturday as their campaign builds.

Capiana won in Benchmark 50 Handicap company while also handing apprentice hoop Emma Simsir her maiden win in the saddle. 

After decades of training, Thomas still springs out of bed every morning to get to the stables.

“If you didn't love it, you just wouldn't do it,” he said.

“It is as simple as that. It is all day, every day.

“I like to be competitive in Brisbane and we've had a good season there for the horses we've been taking, which is never easy out of a country stable.

“We've got about 12 unraced young horses here at the moment. Some of them are showing a bit of ability, but it's the same old story.

“They're all champions until they prove otherwise, but there is a couple there that I think go all right.”

Late Night Devil recorded her sixth victory on her home track late last month at her 18^th attempt.

The mare has also placed on seven other occasions at the venue. 

The daughter of Top Echelon is a stable favourite at Thomas’ place as he has prepared her for all her 67 career starts.

“Old Devil, she loves a joint,” Thomas said of her record at Gympie.

“She struggles a little bit down the road these days at Bundaberg.

“She's got a little bit older, but she's got a real liking for Gympie.

“She's a tough horse to beat here on the sand.”

The two local premierships at the Gympie track are accolades the experienced horseman wears proudly.

“Any premiership or Cup or anything, you always want to win those,” he said.

“Gympie's kind of my hometown. I love to race here. It's a great place. I think the club itself is a very forward-going club.

“We get big crowds here, probably, 1,400, 1,500 a meeting.

“So, it's a big day out when the races come on. I'd like to see a few more race meetings, simply because I'm based here.”

Looking back on his career, Thomas says Moorina Echo was one of the best gallopers he ever prepared but noted Hard Way was the most talented horse he ever had.

Hard Way was a promising juvenile who was cut down by injury before he could manage a maiden win.