Sims savours bush racing success

By Jordan Gerrans

Darling Downs horseman Jayden Sims has bush racing in his heart and was delighted to see Vizstar break through for his second victory for the stable at Warra on Saturday.

Sims prepares a small team of his own while also working for respected Toowoomba conditioner Tom Dougall.

The 35-year-old regards Dougall as one of his great mentors in the game, alongside his father Kevin, who is on a Birdsville campaign this week.

Vizstar arrived with Sims at Toowoomba in the middle of last year as a maiden performer and has since won twice for the barn, with both victories coming at country-level meetings.

The six-year-old gelding was tough to the line to win the Class B Handicap over 1200 metres on Saturday.

“I just absolutely love going to the bush,” the trainer said.

“The bush, it's just the best. I love bush racing. When you go to the bush, there's just a real good atmosphere and good people.

“It's definitely a better atmosphere, that's for sure. It's always a good day at Warra, I like Warra.

“I like all the bush meetings, they're bloody good. It definitely helps when you come home with a winner.”

Sims has been riding work for Dougall for around a decade and, since late 2021, he has prepared a small team of his own.

He grabbed his first winner almost a year later when Suniki scored at Gatton in August of 2022.

The stable has collected another 10 triumphs since. The now-retired Suniki was responsible for six of those victories.

The daughter of Stratum Star had a short spell with Dougall before being transferred to Sims.

The fledgling trainer says his long-time boss has provided him with close guidance over the years.

“He's probably the best horseman trainer I've ever worked for. He's a gentleman, that's for sure,” Sims said.

“There is no rubbish down there in that stable. It's just a very, very good place to be.

“He'll win with horses that shouldn't win races, too. I have learned a lot from him, and my Dad, and just being around a lot of people, really.

“You learn a lot from a lot of different people. But, definitely the finer things to do with training horses.

“He's a pretty smart man with a horse, very smart man with a horse, actually. Tom loves the bush racing, too.”

The well-regarded Dougall has enjoyed immense success on the country and provincial circuit over the years, while also featuring prominently in the city through the deeds of the now-retired Go Wandji.

While Sims admits Vizstar has limited ability, the gelding has placed on eight occasions for his stable, so he was glad to see him finally add another victory on Saturday.

“He's pretty tough when he gets out on them bush tracks, them hard bush tracks,” he said.

“He does try his guts out.

"That is the right race for him, but there is probably not too many left in him.

“There might be one or two on when the bush starts cranking up again, which is soon. Sophie Wilcock just rode him perfect. He does try hard, but you've also got to get into him a bit.

“And, she rode him a treat. It worked out good.”

The Warra Race Club meeting on Saturday consisted of five non-TAB races, with three track records broken across the program.

The Cambooya-based Sims prepares a team of four racehorses while also breaking in and pre-training gallopers for Dougall and other clients from the Bahram training and spelling centre.

“We just concentrate on breaking and pre-training them, but we play around with a couple,” he said.

“We just help each other out here and there, but I ride work every morning for Tommy.

“We break in a lot of young ones and race them through his stable.

“I just break in for him. I've got a few clients that I've had for a long time now and that gets me by. We do a fair bit of work together.

“It's always been there, my own training, I just went breaking and pre-training on my own and just got my licence.

“I was trying a few of our own and then we start a few for other people when they come along. But, we're not too serious about it.

“We've got a few young ones coming up that look pretty nice.

“I've got a couple of babies in the paddock that I've just broken in and gone out on their own that we bred that look to be quite nice, hopefully.”

Sims is a third-generation trainer, with his grandfather training in Alice Springs.

The trainer has Blame The Whiskey nominated for the QTIS Benchmark 60 Handicap over 1380 metres at Bundaberg Race Club on Saturday.