Sewell ready to bounce back in Townsville

By Glenn Davis

Townsville’s Rhein Sewell has only been training for two years and, like many trainers just starting out, he has hit a flat spot.

The 25-year-old conditioner hasn’t been in the winner’s stall since his five-year-old flyer Cole’s Best won at Cluden Park in late February.

But, despite his lack of recent success, Sewell is striking at 11.6%, with 10 wins from 88 starters.

“It’s been a bit frustrating the last couple of months as a few of my better ones were injured,” Sewell said.

Sewell is a hobby trainer with six horses in work and works full-time as a house painter.

“I started off in the automotive industry as a painter, but I’m now painting houses for my brother Ruark,” Sewell said. 

Sewell manages his work commitments with his training duties with some family help from his father, Darin, a former jockey, and his grandfather, Errol Sewell.

Errol Sewell was a five-time Townsville Cup-winning trainer before he retired two years ago and claimed just about every Cup feature in the state’s north before handing his stable over to his grandson.

It didn’t take long for young Sewell to show he had inherited his grandfather’s training ability, with his second starter in a race, Vadamos Queen, winning the Belle Of The Daintree in Cairns in August of 2024.

“The Belle Of The Daintree has been my biggest winner so far,” Sewell said.

“I thought training was going to be an easy caper back then, but I soon found out it’s a lot harder than people think.

“There’s a lot of ups and downs being a trainer.

“Luckily, I get help from my father every day, who comes and helps clean the boxes and do some feeding and my grandfather comes in every afternoon to help out.

“I’ve only got six in work and I was thinking of expanding, but I haven’t made a decision yet.”

Sewell will saddle one starter, Chartwell, in the Benchmark 70 Handicap over 1200 metres in Townsville on Tuesday.

Chartwell, a Ben Kennedy mount, is coming off a last-start second to the Steven Royes-trained Nolan in a 1250 metre Benchmark race at Cairns on August 22.

“He’s been consistent and is always around the money,” Sewell said.

“He needs races to suit, but hopefully he can get a win this time.”

If Chartwell is successful, there’s sure to be a family celebration, with the former Sydney sprinter owned by Sewell and his brother Ruark, along with his mother Karen and sister Brianna.