Trainer Sharlee Hoffman after local bragging rights

By Glenn Davis

Local bragging rights will be up for grabs in Tolga in Far North Queensland when rival trainers Roy Chillemi and Sharlee Hoffman go head-to-head in the Open Handicap at Townsville on Saturday.

Both are old work mates and are hoping their respective starters – Higher Realm and Sylvester – can complete a hat-tricks of wins in the 1000 metre dash.

Higher Realm has been in career best form, winning his past two starts over the distance at Cluden Park, while Sylvester’s last two wins were at Atherton and Mareeba last month.

Tolga-based Chillemi has been a stalwart of North Queensland racing for many years while “neighbour” Hoffman is building a big reputation in the Far North.

Hoffman gained an agriculture degree in horse management before starting a training career nine years ago while Chillemi’s trophy cabinet has just about run out of room, such has been his success over the past few decades.

Hoffman, a mother of two young boys, hails from the NSW coastal town of Macksville before she moved north to muster on cattle stations in the Gulf country.

Her love affair with horses stems from her grandfather, who was a trainer at Macksville.

After moving to the state’s Far North, she worked alongside Chillemi during the wet seasons when she wasn’t mustering.

“It all kicked off from there and I rode a lot of work for trainers like Terry Crossland, Glen Baker, Greg Wehlow and Janel Ryan,” she said.

“I learnt a lot from them before I went out on my own and I rode a lot of work for Roy when I worked for him.”

Hoffman has four starters at Cluden Park and is confident Sylvester will be highly competitive.

“We gave him a few starts early in his campaign to teach him to settle and he’s now won his last two,” Hoffman said.

“I’m a bit lucky this race popped up late after the Ingham meeting was abandoned.

“He went forward last time so he might do the same but I would have preferred a drier track.”

An interesting runner from the Hoffman stable is debutant Merry Old Soul in the Maiden Plate over 1200 metres.

Hoffman bought him for $2,500 from Gold Coast trainer Maryann Brosnan.

“He’s here for a reason I suppose but he’s well-bred as his mother is Tuesday Joy,” she said.

Tuesday Joy, a daughter of 1995 Queensland Oaks winner Joie Denise, was a multiple Group 1 winner in Sydney and Melbourne.

She had 24 starts for seven wins and nine placings with prize money earnings of more than $3.2 million.