Former top Victorian trainer relaunching his career in regional Queensland

By Jordan Gerrans

With a number of Victorian metropolitan winners on his resume, former Cranbourne-based trainer Shaun Quigley is relaunching his stable from Central Queensland.

The 66-year-old stepped away from training in Victoria in April of 2012 after collecting over 60 winners in almost two decades of running his operation, with many of those coming at city Melbourne tracks.

“I did not think it would take this long to get back into it, but it has,” he said on Thursday morning from Queensland’s "Sugar City".

“The itch never goes away from training.”

Quigley prepared some top horses in his younger days.

One of his best was Karla Keys.

The now retired mare won three of her 19 career starts – including six other minor placings.

She finished fourth in the Group 1 Victorian Oaks of 2001 at Flemington, beaten just over five lengths by the Bart Cummings-trained Magical Miss.

Quigley also won a couple of Listed races, one in his native Victoria and one across the border in South Australia.

After relocating to Mackay, Quigley returned to the game in June of last year and has slowly poked around with gelding Annakuri across the northern tracks of the Sunshine State.

He was based in Mackay for around a year before returning to training, with a family connection leading him to shift to CQ.

Annakuri heads to Townsville on Friday afternoon aiming to grab his second victory of his career.

But, it is a trio of babies that has the returning trainer excited about what his stable might be able to produce later in 2023.

He was active at the 2022 Capricornia Yearling Sale in Rockhampton, picking up three youngsters, who are all nearing their first public appearances at the trials.

They will all be set towards the rich Capricornia Yearling Sale graduates race later this year at Callaghan Park.

“They are on the way,” he said.

“They will probably race by the end of this month and hopefully progress through to the sales series later in the year.

“They are showing promise.

“If one of them goes ok and can be competitive, then we will be happy with that.”

After being away from the day-to-day rigours of preparing a stable of horses for over a decade, Quigley says he is refreshed in his second coming in Mackay.

He is working with a small team at stables near Mackay’s Ooralea-based track.

A mental break from the sport was required, according to Quigley.

“I just had a break, that is all,” he said.

“I am now starting again.

“I just had enough and was a bit burnt out.

“I just needed the break.

“It can be hard work with getting owners and what not down there.

“Everyone has a run of outs and bad luck and I was just mentally jaded at the end and wanted to have a break.”

In his return to training, four-year-old bay gelding Annakuri has been the stable flag bearer in recent months.

Annakuri commenced his career with Ricky Maund in Victoria – starting twice without much luck – before he was sent to Quigley in Mackay.

He broke through for his maiden triumph at his third start for his new stable at Mackay and has raced consistently on provincial tracks of North and Central Queensland since.

The sprinter has drawn perfectly in the inside alley for his Friday assignment at Cluden Park with leading provincial hoop Justin Stanley booked for his first ride on the gelding in the Class 1 Handicap. 

“He has limited ability but he is an honest little fella,” the trainer said.

“He has won a race for us, so he has done his job really and paid his way.

“We are happy with him.

“He is a chance on Friday, he has drawn a good gate.

“He has been over racing a bit so in a 1000 metres race, hopefully he can travel a bit more comfortably and be competitive.”

Annakuri ran fourth in his only other appearance at Townsville last year.

The eight-event program to be run at Townsville on Friday was originally scheduled to be conducted at Bowen.

Bowen’s Ben Bolt race course has received more than 900mm rainfall in January, including 120mm last Friday and Saturday, forcing the meeting to be moved north to Cluden Park.