Saunders’ homecoming at Warwick

By Jordan Gerrans

Warwick’s Shane Saunders has one of the more curious records of a trainer in the Sunshine State.

The 50-year-old took his first starter to the races in September of 2024, with The Answer Man providing Saunders with a debut delight as the galloper won by almost two lengths.

The fledgling Saunders team was off the scene for an entire two years before they were back at the track earlier this month with two runners.

They landed another winner with Funky Zebra, while The Answer Man settled for fourth in another race.

All three of the rookie trainer’s race starters have come at Collarenebri Jockey Club, which is situated in northern New South Wales and is where the Saunders family hails from.

Saunders is set for his maiden runner in Queensland on Thursday when The Answer Man contests a race on his home track at Warwick’s Allman Park.

“I've had a pretty good run,” Saunders said with a laugh.

Saunders, who is a pool builder by trade, would have liked to have had a few more runners between this week and September of 2024 if circumstances had been different.

“Well, my Mum got sick and I got crook, as well. That is what happened,” he said.

“Just my joints and my asthma. Mum's got diabetes bad and a cancer scare, but we're all over that now and just plugging along there.

“Then the Collarenebri races were cancelled in 2025 and then they had them this year.

“We had the horses in the paddock spelling and we brought them back in the last few months and I've got a bloke that works for me now, Bill.

“He used to manage the track at Warwick, the mowing and all that sort of thing. So, he's retired and he's come and helped me now.

“That’s why we're going on with it now because he can help me.”

After a stop-start run over the last few years, Saunders is hopeful of being a more consistent face at the races in the Sunshine State over the coming weeks and months.

The Answer Man goes to Warwick on Thursday, while stablemate Funky Zebra is being targeted at an event at Gatton next week.

The Answer Man is a seven-year-old galloper who has only been to the races twice in his short career.

The son of Spirit Of Boom was purchased for just $500 and was also previously prepared by Maree Hopkins and Jack Brown.

“He was a polo pony horse down at Beaudesert,” Saunders recalls.

“His job was to lead the polo ponies down to the polo field.

“I brought him home and we got him fit; we trialled him in Toowoomba and he ran second in Toowoomba.

“We took him down to Collarenebri and he won.

“We're just working him well, feeding him good feed. We're training him out of the paddock. We haven't got him in a stable all the time.

“We're trying a few different new things, swimming, walking, just going along steady with him.”

The Answer Man heads towards the Ratings Band 0 - 58 Handicap over 1200 metres on Thursday.

The gelding was fourth emergency when acceptances were taken earlier this week, but he is likely to get a run come Thursday afternoon.

“There are some pretty smart horses in it,” Saunders said of Thursday’s event.

“I'd be disappointed if he doesn't run a place, at least. I think he'll go alright, but it's a pretty smart field.”

Impressive apprentice hoop Samantha Pointon, who recently won the Birdsville Cup, is a second cousin of Saunders.

Pointon rode both of the trainer’s horses at the recent Collarenebri meeting.

Veteran Deagon jockey Matthew Gray has been booked for Thursday’s assignment, however.

The experienced Gray has a long association with the Saunders family, previously breaking in horses for Shane’s father, Kevin.

Shane is a third-generation horseman, with Kevin following in the footsteps of his father, Claude.

“It's been in the family all the way back to Collarenebri,” he said.

“All the cousins go to the races, aunties and uncles. All the family.

“It's a good day for a little town. They travel far and wide to go there.”