Redman Hoping To Build On Training Dream At Taree

23 August 2008

IN-FORM Newcastle galloper Lord Flasheart is putting the training career of builder Colin Redman on a firm foundation.

Tomorrow Lord Flasheart will be out to make it three straight wins when he runs in the $60,000 Taree Gold Cup over 2000 metres.

Just last Saturday Lord Flasheart gave Redman his first win on his home track at Broadmeadow, and now the pair are out to combine for their biggest success.

The seven-year-old gelding followed a victory at Gosford over 1600m on August 7 with the strong effort to score over 1850m at Newcastle.

Redman has been combining the hard yakka of the building game and the training caper for the past four years.

But it has been the recent efforts of Lord Flasheart that have given Redman cause to aim to become a full-time trainer.

A win in the Taree Cup would help the 40-year-old to race towards that goal.

"This is the hardest field Lord Flasheart has met, but he is in form, and he has come through the win last week at Broadmeadow real well," Redman said.

"He was kicking and seemed very energetic when we took him for a run at Birubi Point this week.

"He has always shown that he might make it as a stayer, but things just did not work out early in his career for me to give him that chance.

"So now we are going to find out if he can make it as a stayer."

Lord Flasheart will jump from barrier two, have Robert Agnew aboard and carry 53 kilograms tomorrow.

Redman said a victory in the Taree Cup could only help him with the ambition of building on his eight-strong team and getting into full-time training.

"I have had the dream of becoming a full-time trainer in the back of my mind for a long time now, and winning a Taree Cup could not hurt in trying to increase my team with more owners," he said.

Redman was just 14 when he left school with the dream of becoming an apprentice jockey in Grafton with Ron Gosling.

"I left home at Newcastle and was keen to become a jockey, but I went to Grafton in the middle of winter and was living in an annex and getting out of bed at 3am," he said.

"After a few months of that I decided I could find a better way of earning a living.

"I came back to Newcastle and became a carpenter and have gone on to building homes.

"But I always wanted to get back into racing.

"I leased Lord Flasheart off Jeff Turnbull and now have eight in work, and I am spending more and more time with the horses."

Redman spends his mornings caring for the horses and riding them in work and afterwards heads to his other job.

He paid credit to three people who have helped him in his fledgling career.

Redman's father Keith goes each morning to the track to help his son, as do staff Grant Marshall and Todd McMillan.

"I wouldn't be able to do both jobs without the help of my dad, Grant and Todd," he said.

"It does keep me busy, but it is worth it when you get a thrill like seeing my horse win at home last week."

It may take a win in the Taree Cup by Lord Flasheart to put the builder onto a new level of his training ambitions.


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