Emilee’s Empire out to keep winning run going for Lyle Wright

Images: Caught in the Act Photography CQ

By Jordan Gerrans

Lengthy winning streaks for his gallopers is not a new experience for Central Queensland trainer Lyle Wright.

Across 2017-18, Wright prepared Cyclone Topgirl to seven straight victories in her two-year-old campaign, culminating with a feature win in the $100,000 Townsville 2YO Classic at Cluden Park.

Since December of last year, the 72-year-old now has Emilee’s Empire on her own winning sequence, grabbing her last four as she shoots for a handful this Friday afternoon at Callaghan Park.

While the latest winning streak is remarkable in itself, it makes it even more significant for the veteran CQ horseman that it has come after two major heart surgeries in recent years.

At the back end of 2018, Wright was recovering from open heart surgery and as he detailed this week, he is still battling with on-going concerns.

“My heart is ok but my sternum – because they had to open me up twice – I haemorrhaged after they did the operation and they grafted me up,” he explained.

“My sternum has never joined up properly so I have a lot of chest pain, chronic chest pain all the time really.

“There is a few things I can’t do now that I used to but I take it easy compared to how I used to do it.

“I am plodding along and happy with what I am doing.”

Wright, who trained for 10 years in Mackay before relocating to Rockhampton, remains on medication for his heart to this day.

He previously had a much bigger operation of gallopers but these days has six in work at Callaghan Park.

A daughter of Carrara, Emilee’s Empire went through the Capricorn Yearling sales and has been one of the hottest horses in CQ in recent months.

This campaign she has been to the races five times, running third first-up from her break, before putting four in a line, as she aims to make it five in a Class 6 Plate on Friday.

While Wright was confident his bay mare always had ability, it took patience from the trainer and maturity from the horse to lead towards her recent stunning form.

While many trainers would have moved on a galloper who took almost 20 starts to break her maiden, Wright persevered and is now reaping the rewards.

“As a two and three-year-old, she was still pretty immature and we were trying to win a QTIS maiden with her, which she did in the end as a three-year-old,” Wright said.

“She was not quite ready to be racing but I pushed on with her as she appeared to be well enough to race.

“She pulled up a bit sore one day and then she had virtually six months off racing, before coming back as a four-year-old and she has matured a lot.

“That is the key to it, basically maturity, as early on she showed plenty of ability but she kept finding one better.”

With popular provincial hoop Nathan “Grubby” Day in the saddle on Friday, Emilee’s Empire will be on the path to catching former Wright stable favourite Cyclone Topgirl’s winning run.

Cyclone Topgirl retired with 10 victories to her name from 16 starts, pulling in just over $270,000 for connections.

“She won seven two-year-old races straight after running second on debut in the Pallarenda Stakes,” Wright recalled.

“Let’s hope Emilee's Empire is on the same path but I am happy with what she has done.

“Emilee's Empire is big and strong and I think if she is going to be able to keep winning races in a row, it will be now.”

Emilee's Empire steps up to 1300 metres for the first time this Friday in a small-field.

As a short favourite in Benchmark 65 grade last start, she took a while to wind up but got her nose down on the line and looked to be doing her best work late over 1050 metres.

“There is a few there that can win this race but it is her time now to step up to a bit further distance,” he said.