Pengellys chase rare metropolitan win

By Glenn Davis

Gladstone hobby trainer Phil Pengelly is hoping to turn back the clock more than a decade as he seeks a rare metropolitan win with his son, jockey Brad Pengelly, at Ipswich on Wednesday.

The Pengelly-trained Blue Jacket arrived from the Central Queensland town on Wednesday morning in perfect order for his assignment in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Benchmark 62 Handicap over 1350 metres.

The Pengellys last struck metropolitan success together with Solar Secret who landed some big bets at juicy odds to win a Class 6 at Eagle Farm in June, 2009.

Phil Pengelly has looked for a bigger challenge with Blue Jacket after the son of Sizzling led all the way to win at Yeppoon last month.

The win took the gelding’s record to two wins and three placings from only six starts and boosted his prizemoney to just short of $30,000.

It’s been a worthwhile investment for Pengelly, who paid only $6,000 for him at an online Inglis auction in Melbourne.

“He was passed in for $5,000 when he jibbed and didn’t want to enter the ring and lashed out and kicked a door,” Pengelly said.

“I thought he had a bit of spirit so I was on the phone and got him after he was passed in.”

Pengelly is confident Blue Jacket will be competitive despite the stronger opposition.

“I haven’t taken a horse to Brisbane for a few years but the last winner I had with Brad was with Solar Secret at Eagle Farm,” Pengelly said.

“I got 33-1 the day he won and had about $1500 on him.”

Pengelly, who turns 70 next month, only has a small team of three horses in work and mostly enjoys fishing off the coast of Gladstone while he dabbles with training.

“He’ a nice horse who should go well in this race,” Pengelly said.

“I wanted to bring him down three weeks ago for a race at Doomben but he drew the outside so I scratched and ran him at Yeppoon where he won.

“My only worry is that he’s been in work a while and has had six starts this campaign so I’m hoping he’s not over the top.”