Mind Over Matter has McGovern dreaming

By Jordan Gerrans

Unbeaten in four starts in North Queensland, Townsville mentor Terry McGovern believes there is still plenty more to come from the impressive Mind Over Matter as the gelding bids for a fifth consecutive victory on Sunday at Cluden Park.

After three efforts for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott around New South Wales in 2025, the son of Written By was quickly moved on by the leading camp and snapped up online by McGovern.

Mind Over Matter was an expensive yearling as a baby for the powerful Yulong operation.

The 44-year-old McGovern parted with a fraction of what Yulong paid for Mind Over Matter when the gelding was offered for sale in the middle of last year.

After four straight wins at Cluden Park, the three-year-old gelding has most certainly paid his way for McGovern and his crew of connections.

With the Northern Queensland Winter Racing Carnival fast approaching, McGovern has several options for the smart youngster. 

“I think he's improved with every run, I think there'll be more improvement this run and the next run as we get him out over further distance,” McGovern said.

“He is a two-sprint horse that can jump, be handy and then settle really professionally.

“Then, we are able to push the button on him and go again. I think we'll see big improvement. There's lots of options for him during the carnival.

"So, we're just going to get through Sunday, then depending on how Sunday goes and how he travels, we'll go from there."

Mind Over Matter goes to the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap over 1200 metres on Sunday, which will be his first assignment in North Queensland beyond 1000 metres.

The progressive bay was tested as far as 1400 metres in Sydney on one occasion.

McGovern rides much of his own trackwork and will ensure he is in the saddle for his gallopers' final grass gallop before their upcoming assignment.

In one of those grass gallops, he first realised the potential of Mind Over Matter ahead of his North Queensland debut earlier this year.

“When I legged Sean Cormack up on him the first time, I told Sean that this horse was the best horse in the barn,” McGovern recalls.

“He looked at me with a bit of a look on his face like, ‘Come on, mate’.

“And, anyway, he came back with an awfully big smile after that first win. 

"Sean had been riding some winners for me at the time and we had some decent horses in the stable.

“He asked what he needed to know about the horse, I said what I said to him and it has proved to be right.”

Multiple Group 1-winning rider Cormack has been in the saddle for Mind Over Matter’s recent quartet of winners and will again take the ride on Sunday.

However, South African Cormack will need to contend with a wide gate on Sunday.

Mind Over Matter had some foot troubles when he raced in Sydney and with McGovern a farrier by trade, he took on the challenge.

“We put him in the paddock for a few months and I got his feet right,” he recalls.

“Then we took him to the races when he was right and he has just been a dream ever since.

“I got to ride him myself in a jump-out a couple of weeks prior to his first start for me and the work that he did was just phenomenal.

“The turn of foot in that horse, he's a two-sprint horse. You can put him forward and then put him to sleep and then go again. He's the real deal.

"It's very exciting. It is fantastic, that's what you keep looking for, the good ones and we just keep searching."

In a busy weekend for the stable, McGovern will have Drumshanbo run at Oak Park Race Club on Saturday in the Class B Handicap over 1000 metres.

As well as Mind Over Matter, the stable will also have Carpaccio in the Benchmark 60 Handicap over 1300 metres at Cluden Park on Sunday with Cormack to do the steering.

McGovern, who was a bull rider as a young person before turning to training, is enjoying his best season in the caper since his maiden victory back in 2019.

He has 12 winners to his name this term and is striking at 19%.

It is the first time he has ticked past double figure winners in a campaign.

With a smart crop of four yearlings he is preparing, McGovern is hopeful the 2026-27 season is just as fruitful.