Dalby barista keen to make her mark as thoroughbred trainer

By Jordan Gerrans

From making lattes to training thoroughbred gallopers, Caitlin Johnstone is not like many other people her age on the Western Downs region of Queensland.

At 22 years of age, the enthusiastic Caitlin is one of the youngest licenced thoroughbred trainers in the Sunshine State.

The smiling rookie trainer took her first galloper to the races on Saturday afternoon at Ipswich.

Having grown up in a family entrenched in the industry, she decided to dive head first into training, instead of opting to work as a stable foreperson or assistant trainer at another barn.

To pay the bills of her growing racing career, Caitlin makes lattes and long blacks at a Dalby café after a long morning at track.

Caitlin has held a stable hand licence for about a year and is in the process of obtaining her licence to ride track work, as well.

“I was keen to get my own training licence and go from there to see how I went,” she said.

Caitlin is a third-generation racing participant.

Her father Tom rode as a jockey for almost two decades before going on to train for another decade.

Tom was still riding track work until about a year ago before a fall put him on the sidelines.

According to Racing.com’s statistics, Tom prepared 47 winners between 2000 and 2012 from his Blackall base.

Caitlin’s uncle Brad Johnstone as well as her pop – Tom Johnstone as well – were also heavily involved in the code across their lives.

“It is pretty much bred into my family,” she said.

“They have been in racing their entire lives, my dad, uncle and pop.

“I came up with the horses as a kid, I was into pony club and all that kind of stuff.”

Caitlin is based out of Colkerri – which is just outside of Dalby – and heads into the track at Dalby to work her one galloper - Sheezasinga – of a morning.

The Whittington mare has gone through several trainers across her 22 career starts, which has yielded three victories and eight other minor placings.

One of those top three finishes came at Caitlin’s maiden start as a trainer at the Bundamba-based track on Saturday.

In Benchmark 62 grade over the speedy 800 metres, Sheezasinga led for much of the journey from an inside draw before eventually running into third, beaten just over a length.

Caitlin was over the moon with the display from her new six-year-old mare, who she picked up for around $2,000.

“I was definitely happy with how she went first-up for me,” the young trainer said.

“To run third as she did, I think that is pretty good.

“I was just looking on Inglis for some time and then eventually she came up and I purchased her.”

After making her first appearance as a trainer at TAB level, Caitlin and Sheezasinga may drop back to country grade next Saturday, considering heading to Texas, or instead looking towards a race at Clifford Park in the evening timeslot.

“It was very nerve racking leading into it, I think I had more nerves than the horse,” she said with a smile about her first day as a licenced trainer.

“When we got to the track, a lot of the officials and people there knew it was my first starter and made comment about that, so that made it even more nerve racking (laughs).

“As soon as she was out of the track, it was really surreal and a bit of a thrill for me.”

The emerging trainer is keen to add more gallopers to her stable and will be actively looking for more horses.