John Bannister- You Snooze, You Loose
THE early bird catches the worm! It’s a well-known saying which infers that those who start the day early and are pro-active are more likely to succeed in their endeavours.
John Bannister can surely be included in the above category. The Newcastle trainer’s success with Melbourne cast-off Touch Of Navy in Sunday’s Dubbo Gold Cup Prelude (1400m) was indeed a reward for the long hours he puts into his training venture. A $7 chance and ridden by Nick Heywood, Touch Of Navy made it two country wins on end, after also taking the Bengalla Cup (1280m) at Muswellbrook on July 29.Bannister prepares his horses on a near-100 acre property at Leconfield near Branxton, and rises at 1am four mornings a week to get his horses ready to drive to Newcastle in order to gallop them at Broadmeadow.
“I usually leave home between 2 to 2.30am to make sure I am one of the first trainers at the track, otherwise I can’t get the horses worked,” Bannister explained. “The track riders then ride work for the bigger trainers. “Shane Arnold, who works for fellow Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle, helps me out and also comers up to the property when required. “I have a 1200m track at home, but give them their faster work at Broadmeadow.” Bannister, who previously trained at Cessnock before relocating to Newcastle about four years ago, currently has three horses in racing trim, another two being pre-trained and a sixth ready to come in.
He has tallied 41 winners to date from small numbers, and took $3500 online buy Poseidon Ruler to the $1m Provincial-Midway Championships Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick two years ago.
Touch Of Navy, a $170,000 yearling buy at the 2021 Magic Millions sale at the Gold Coast, was trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr at Caulfield for his first four starts, which yielded a Geelong 3YO Maiden Plate (1321m) victory in March last year. He subsequently changed hands privately after finishing fourth at Pakenham over 1600m the following month, and briefly went to a Coffs Harbour stable without racing before joining Bannister’s team. “Touch Of Navy ran second first-up for me at Newcastle 12 months ago in late July last and then won a Class 1 Handicap (1280m) at Muswellbrook a few weeks later,” Bannister said. Since coming back into work after a lengthy spell, the now five-year-old son of dual Group 1 winner Merchant Navy (Flemington in 2017 and Royal Ascot the following year) has really gone ahead under Bannister’s care. His Dubbo win was his third from five starts; the previous two being at Taree (a 1262m Benchmark 82 Handicap) on June 9 on a ‘Heavy 8’, and the Benchmark 86 Bengalla Cup on a ‘Heavy 9’ at Muswellbrook.
Touch Of Navy’s only “failure” this time was a 10th at Newcastle on June 29 over 1400m, but there were valid excuses. He drew poorly in a big field, and raced wide and without cover. Bannister says he nearly didn’t take the gelding to Dubbo when he again drew poorly (the outside in a field of 11). “I was considering waiting for a Benchmark 72 Handicap (1300m) on the Kensington track on Wednesday,” he said. “But I thought the Dubbo race was easier, and also was annoyed that none of the experts tipped him. “I felt my horse’s form was better, and I’m glad I made the trip.”
Touch Of Navy became exempt from ballot for the $150,000 Big Dance Eligibility Dubbo Gold Cup (1600m); however that feature is still more than six weeks away, on September 29.
“I haven’t ruled it out, but the Prelude was his fifth run this time in work,” Bannister said. “We might have a crack at a Midway Handicap in town first, and see how he goes.” Bannister is in for a busy period as he also six two-year-olds who have yet to be broken in.
. HOOFNOTE: Kembla Grange trainers Mitch Beer, Joe ible and Theresa Bateup were winners at Nowra today (the other scheduled NSW meeting at Muswellbrook didn’t proceed because of rain).
Beer landed a double with a pair of $4 favorites (Hurricane Thunder in the 1000m Benchmark 58 Handicap, and Order To Charge in the 1600m Benchmark 58 Handicap.
The Ible-trained Jinsoku ($7) clinched his second win from his last three starts, in the 1200m Benchmark 58 Handicap, whilst Bateup landed the Maiden Plate (1400m) with Kickamushu ($3.90).
Bateup put blinkers on the four-year-old mare for her 11thstart, and got the desired result, comfortably defeating Ible’s Rossellini ($8.50).
Story John Curtis, August 12, 2024