Hamblin's rare chance at a metropolitan triumph

By Glenn Davis

Veteran jockey Paul Hamblin has been handed two opportunities to land a rare city win at Doomben on Saturday.

Hamblin, who rode for many years over the hurdles in Victoria, is set to partner the David Vandyke-trained Bargannon in the Benchmark 78 Handicap over 1615 metres and the Shaun Dwyer-trained Last Chance in the No Metropolitan race for colts and geldings.

Bargannon will carry 62kgs and is coming off a last start second to Sea Raider in a Benchmark 90 race at Doomben on January 22 while Last Chance has a massive 62.5kgs and is having his first start for trainer Shaun Dwyer since finishing fourth in the Cairns Newmarket in August.

Hamblin’s most recent appearance in the metropolitan area was aboard the Jason Judge-trained Hard Stride who ran in the Country Stampede Final at Doomben on December 4.

The 55-year-old has covered more territory than Burke and Wills during his career after starting an apprenticeship with former Pilton trainer Marty Byrne.

“I started with Marty as his apprentice and when he retired, I transferred to his son Danny at Clifton,” Hamblin said.

“They had a very good horse in those days called Malt’s Memory who loved the wet and won at Caulfield.

“When I was about 28, I moved to become the number two rider behind Brian York at Bruce McLachlan’s Thornhill Park.

“I eventually moved back to Toowoomba when I started to get heavy so I gave riding away after I won the Emerald premiership when I was 29.”

However, his love of riding saw Hamblin return as a jumps rider in Victoria.

“I went to Melbourne to ride trackwork for Colin Alderson and he introduced me to Eric Musgrove,” he said.

“I rode my first winner over the jumps at Oakbank in 2003.”

During his jumps career, Hamblin won The Australian Steeplechase aboard Miratec in 2005 and New Zealand’s richest jumps race at the time, The Grand National Steeplechase aboard Upper Cut in 2016.

He also won the South Australian equivalent on Nishiazabu at Morphettville in 2016.

Hamblin returned to live on the Sunshine Coast five years ago and is one of the hardest working track riders at Caloundra.

He travels to all parts of country Queensland to ride but is restricted to mounts around 60kgs.

“I’ve got my weight down to about 59kgs,” he said.

“I owe my ride on Bargannon to owner Sam Mayer who convinced David (Vandyke) to put me on.

“Sam was a top trainer in Toowoomba before he gave it away a few years ago and Last Chance has been weighted out of racing in Central Queensland when he was with Olivia Cairns.”