Jason Taylor to help veteran trainer break long city drought

By Glenn Davis

Veteran trainer Barry Reardon can’t recall his last metropolitan winner but he thinks it may have been more than four decades ago when he was just starting off his training career.

Now 77 years of age, Reardon is hopeful Sly Corner can bring down champion trainer Tony Gollan, who has a strong hand with three runners in the Class 3 Handicap for colts and geldings at Doomben on Wednesday.

Reardon has just two horses in work, Sly Corner and Beach Club.

Beach Club is a four time winner, who recently had throat surgery and will head to the breeding barn after one more preparation.

Sly Corner is raced by Reardon’s cousin Lindsay Chicken along with Nev and Lynelle Remington.

Reardon has been training on and off for many years after working for 26 years in the grain industry.

“I used to look after the grain and made sure it was kept clean,” Reardon said.

“After 26 years I started to muck around with a few horses and began to train for my cousin, Lindsay.

“In 1973, I went to Melbourne to train privately for a bloke but it didn’t work out so I moved to Blackall to train.

“I can’t really recall my last city winner but I once had a very good horse called Bill’s Advice, who won some nice races at Albion Park so I think he may have been my last town winner.”

Reardon has booked top hoop Jason Taylor for Wednesday's assignment. 

Albion Park, better known as “The Creek”, was a sand track in Brisbane which produced some champion gallopers such as Red Seas, who won all 15 races on the sand track in two seasons between 1969 and 1971.

The Creek was closed in 1981 and eventually became the home for harness racing in Queensland. 

Reardon rarely has a city starter these days but he did bring Sly Corner to Eagle Farm for his last appearance when he finished a brave third behind Logan Street Lion in a 1400 metre Class 3 on November 1.

“We bought him for $25,000 as a tried horse and he’s now had four starts for one win, an unlucky second at Gatton and a great third at Eagle Farm last start,” Reardon said.

“It’s not an overly strong race but there’s one there in Ashgrove for Tony Gollan who has been placed in a Group 2.”

Gollan’s other starters are the unbeaten Antino, who won for trainer Adam Campton at the Sunshine Coast in March, before winning in his stable debut for the premier trainer on the same track on November 6.

Gollan’s other runner, So You Knew, is making his return after finishing fifth over 1805 metres at Eagle Farm in the middle of July.