It's all coming up Muttaburra for Dickson

By Jordan Gerrans

It is all coming up Muttaburra this Saturday.

The small Central West town of Muttaburra will host its only meeting of the season.

While, further north, a man known as Muttaburra for his entire life will be chasing Townsville Cup glory.

North Queensland trainer Garry Dickson hails from the bush town and has been known by his mates as ‘Muttaburra’ for as long as he can remember.

The 75-year-old conditioner believes his Townsville Cup contender Aged Care provides him with a great chance to claim the first local feature Cup of his time in racing.

Dickson has been based in Townsville for more than four decades and he hasn’t lost his nickname in all that time.

“It doesn’t worry me, I have had it since I was a kid,” he said with a chuckle.

“They have always called me that.”

Aged Care is the absolute bolter of the Townsville Cup field of 2026.

The five-year-old was running in lowly sprint races just a few weeks ago.

He has just five wins to his name from 19 career attempts and is one of the most inexperienced horses in the field.

The son of Brutal finished seventh in a 1000 metre Benchmark 70 event in the middle of June before running fourth and sixth in his next two starts at Cluden Park.

The former Kris Lees-prepared galloper shot to Cup prominence at his last start when he won brilliantly in the Mayor’s Cup over a mile to book his ticket into Saturday’s $150,000 showpiece event in NQ.

It was Aged Care’s first attempt at a mile in the Mayor’s Cup and he steps up again in trip to 2000 metres for the Cup.

Dickson has long dreamed of lifting a Townsville Cup and believes Aged Care gives him a fair shot on Saturday.

“I thought he'd get, well, I knew he'd get a mile, but I didn't know if he'd make 10 furlongs,” Dickson said.

“But, he'd been running from bad alleys all the time. His last four starts he'd been handed shocking alleys.

“But, it doesn't matter in a longer race like the Mayor’s Cup or the Townsville Cup.

“In a 10 furlongs race, I think he can cross quickly, he can. But, he does drop back and relax then. He should run 10 furlongs, I think. I hope so.

“He's not going to be a dour stayer or run a mile-and-a-half or something.”

Aged Care won two of his first three starts in NQ in October of last year after transferring north.

He went five efforts without scoring before landing the prize in Saturday’s Mayor’s Cup.

“We got our money back out of him pretty quickly,” the veteran trainer said.

“He's a good little horse, not real big, but he's a lovely horse to do anything with.

“We've been building him up. The other day when he ran second, he could have won that race if things went his way.

“But, he did a good job on Saturday. He was about three lengths off them at the 200 metre mark. He rattled home.

“When I brought him back in this time, I said he’s my Cup horse, this horse.

“I’ve always wanted to win a Townsville Cup and I think he’s a good chance.”

Aged Care is raced by Townsville’s Robert and Wendy Pack, who are chasing their second Townsville Cup crown after being in the ownership of Gift Man in 1991.

Also, on the program on Saturday, Dickson will start Savvy Thinker in the Benchmark 65 Handicap over 2000 metres. 

Savvy Thinker was a strong last-start winner at Cairns’ Cannon Park and the trainer thinks the gelding can double up.

“It was a good win,” he said.

Hoop Chelsea Jokic won aboard Savvy Thinker and Aged Care in their recent performances and she has retained the bookings for Saturday.

Jokic is already a Townsville Cup champion herself, winning the 2018 edition with Lady Skills.

“I think he can get the 2000 metres in the Cup, I’m so happy to be riding him. I think he’s got a very good chance,” Jokic said.

Out west, Muttaburra will host five non-TAB races on Saturday, with the meeting headlined by the local Cup, which is run over 1400 metres and offers $13,250 in prizemoney.