It’s every country trainer’s dream to win a feature race in their home town and it’s no different for Tony Sears.
The Toowoomba trainer dearly wants to win the $150,000 Listed Weetwood Handicap (1200m) at Clifford Park on March 28, a race which this year is named in honour of former jockey Kristy Banks.
Banks suffered serious injuries in a race fall at Clifford Park in December and is unlikely to walk again.
Sears believes he has his best chance yet of winning the Weetwood Handicap with two strong hopes, The Ringmaster and Haizum.
The Ringmaster continued his march to the Weetwood Handicap with a powerful victory in the Coca-Cola Handicap (1010m) at Doomben on Saturday while Haizum won impressively at his last start at Eagle Farm on March 3.
Sears has tried a number of times to win the Weetwood but his closest finish was with Inzaman who was narrowly beaten by former top mare Seawinne in 1995.
The Ringmaster never looked in danger of defeat when he downed Norocos by three lengths.
The next stop for The Ringmaster is the Weetwood and Sears can’t wait.
“He had a little break after his previous run at Clear Mountain stud and he did extremely well,” Sears said.
“I want to keep him as fresh as possible so he won’t race again before the Weetwood.
“I’m not sure if he’ll be going back out in the paddock again as I’ve got the right facilities at the stable.”
Paul Hammersley gave a perfect display to score his second straight win on the son of Clang and is hoping to retain the mount for the Weetwood.
“The foot’s in the door for the Weetwood ride,” Hammersley said.
“He races well and lets down a lot better on the cushion track at Toowoomba than he does on the grass so he’s got a reasonable chance when he gets back on the cushion in the Weetwood.”
Sears won’t be drawn into comparing his Weetwood hopefuls as his family owns Haizum, the winner of 14 of his 38 starts.
“Haizum is a very handy horse and he ran fourth in last year’s Weetwood and should have finished closer,” he said.
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