First training win gives McFarlane early reward

By Jordan Gerrans

The exhilarating winning feeling will keep Zac McFarlane bouncing out of bed early each morning in North Queensland for the next few months.

The former picnic jockey has set up shop at Bowen in the north of the Sunshine State as he aims to establish himself as a gallops trainer.

The 24-year-old has been in the hunt for his maiden success since early May of this year and finally secured a breakthrough triumph at Mackay on Friday with Got Gumption.

“There's not much that can give you a feeling that good,” McFarlane said.

“It certainly is hard to be topped.

“It definitely makes it a lot easier getting out of bed in the morning. I am loving what I am doing now, I wouldn't change it for anything.”

McFarlane hails from Grafton in New South Wales, but has strong ties to Queensland.

He initially moved north around a decade ago and linked up with Tom Button, when the leading provincial mentor was based at Rockhampton.

After a stint as a picnics jockey and years away from the caper as a plasterer, the young horseman was lured back to the Sunshine State by Button to Bowen about three years ago.

After riding trackwork for Button for a period of time, McFarlane eventually decided to take out his own training licence.

McFarlane regards Button as one of his close mentors in the game.

“He was my first ever boss in racing,” he said.

“I was only meant to be here for three or four months to give him a hand at Bowen and three years later, here we are.

“He's certainly played a big part and had a lot to do with where I'm at now.

“He's one of them blokes, he's been there from the start.”

Button has since relocated north to Townsville’s Cluden Park and McFarlane remains at Bowen, leaving him as the sole trainer at the venue.

As he aims to forge his own path in the industry with five horses on the books, he believes it is an ideal location to prepare his growing barn.

“It's slowly getting there, like everything,” he said.

“Bowen, if you base yourself there and make a fist of it, it's a good place to train. It's still pretty central to everywhere.

“It takes a bit of time, but I started out with a couple of nice little horses and the team's slowly building up.

“I've certainly got a good bunch of owners behind me and they make it a lot easier.

“I've got a few people that put a fair bit of trust into me when I was starting out and it's good to see that it's paying off for them now.

“I would eventually like to build up my numbers in work, but I am not going to rush into it too quickly. 

"Eventually, I'll build it up a bit bigger.”

McFarlane always had his eyes on becoming a jockey as a teenager, but was always just a little too heavy to make it at the races.

He competed as an amateur and rode the picnic circuit at venues such as Moree Picnic Race Club and Oakley Amateur Picnic Race Club.

He still rides all his own trackwork.

Got Gumption was the fledgling trainer’s 16^th starter in a race when he finally got the chocolates on Friday at Mackay.

The victory came on the same program as the feature Mackay Newmarket, which made the breakthrough all that sweeter to do it on a big race day.

The gelding scored in Benchmark 60 Handicap grade over 1560 metres as the favourite with Ben Kennedy doing the steering.

“He's a horse that's certainly not blessed with all the ability in the world, but every time he goes around, he gives you 110%,” the trainer said.

“He was probably a little bit unlucky last time, actually, he missed the kick a fair way and he flew home for a nice second.

“But, he did everything right the other day and he just managed to get in there at the end.”

The stable returns to Mackay Turf Club on Saturday with Excelboom in the Ratings Band 0 - 60 Handicap over 1100 metres.

The three-year-old gelding has placed twice in five efforts for his new barn after being transferred north from champion conditioner Tony Gollan.

“He is an honest horse,” McFarlane said of Excelboom.

“If he relaxes, he'll be in the finish. He didn't really handle the track at Oak Park, to be honest.

“The start before, he just went way too hard over 1200 metres and stopped. But, if he can get his own way in front, he'll certainly be there in the finish.”