Ferguson still hunting outback Cups

By Glenn Davis

At 81 years of age, Toowoomba trainer John Ferguson sees no reason to hand in his stopwatch.

Ferguson is a living legend of the Queensland outback and has been a regular visitor to the dusty country tracks out west for more than six decades.

“I started training in 1963 and once won the Birdsville Cup with a horse called Rifle,” Ferguson said.

“I’ve been saying for a long time that I’m ready to stop training, but I just keep going.

“I’ll make up my mind when the time comes, but so long as the body is right, I might as well keep going.”

“Ferg” as he’s affectionately known, lives at Cambooya outside Toowoomba and has one horse in work.

“I’ve had a house at Cambooya for 35 years, but I haven’t lived there that long,” he said.

Ferguson once managed S. Kidman and Co station at Durham Downs.

“I used to ride in races and was the manager for S. Kidman and Co for 45 years,” Ferguson said.

“I quit in 2008 when I got too old for work and that was when I was around 65.”

Ferguson still drives his truck to the western country meetings and is accompanied on most occasions by close friend and fellow trainer Kevin Sims.

Some of his family, including three daughters and three grandkids, as well as other close friends made the trip to support Ferguson at what could be his last Birdsville meeting.

“My wife passed away about five years ago, but the family came out to watch my horse Aussie Adaptor run on Birdsville Cup day, but unfortunately he had no luck,” he said.

A son of Master Of Design, Aussie Adaptor, has saluted just once in his 15-start career in a maiden handicap at Stony Creek when trained by Jason Warren.

The former Victorian will attempt to give Ferguson his first win in the Bedourie Cup over 1600 metres on Saturday.

“I’ve been going to Bedourie for years, but I’ve never had a starter in the Cup,” he said.

“I bought Aussie Adaptor in Melbourne and he won’t have any trouble running 1600 metres.

“It’s just a matter whether he’s good enough.”

Aussie Adaptor has only started five times for Ferguson and his best result has been a second to Darwin sprinter Rhesus in a 1200 metre Benchmark race at Betoota last month.

“His Betoota run was good, but he missed the kick at Birdsville last start and had to carry 61.5kg,” Ferguson said.

“He’s only got 56kg in the Bedourie Cup.”