Sturgess' gelding storms to a career-best mark

By Jordan Gerrans

A couple of years ago, Ipswich’s Brett Sturgess was told by many in the industry that he should give up on a galloper he bred himself that was struggling to win a maiden.

The hobby trainer has had as many as three gallopers in his team over the years but going back to the middle of 2021, Stormtrooper has been the only horse he has prepared.

Now a seven-year-old, the veteran horseman, who hails from Chinchilla, has poked along with Stormtrooper since.

It took Stormtrooper 15 attempts to break his maiden status, which came at Gympie in June of 2021.

Once Sturgess finally worked out his lone galloper, he has not looked back since.

On Friday at Kilcoy, Stormtrooper recorded his 10^th career victory and ticked past $150,000 in stakes.

As many instructed the hobby conditioner to give up on the gelding, to reach those feats became a monumental occasion for the trainer.

“Persistence paid off,” Sturgess said.

Sturgess raced Stormtrooper’s mother Commanding Lass up until early 2012.

She won one race and placed on half a dozen occasions but as the trainer reflects, she raced far too often as a juvenile which was her eventual downfall.

Sturgess described Commanding Lass as ‘very good’ when she was fit and healthy.

The brood mare produced Fortunate Decree before Stormtrooper but the mare retired without winning a race in 11 attempts and made her way into the polocrosse world.

So, when Stormtrooper was winless after 15 starts, Sturgess would have been forgiven for giving up on him.

A change in the galloper's shoes was eventually the making of him as a race horse.

“I spoke to a few older trainers and they suggested a few different things with his shoes,” he said.

“And, I have got his shoeing right now, which is great.

“Early on, he was leading and then would run last and it took me that long to find out how to sort it out.

“I was told by a number of people to give up on him because he was no good. Once we got those shoes right, he has been great. 

“A mate of mine that owns a share in the horse with me, we were cheering pretty hard on Friday.”

The 63-year-old Sturgess was beaming to reach the $100,000 mark not long ago so he was over the moon to get to $150,000 on Friday.

And, there is a few more wins left in him, he believes.

As he prepares just one horse in his barn, Sturgess and Stormtrooper have developed a close bond together over the years.

“He is a bit of kids pony really,” Sturgess said.

“I have had him at home since he was a foal, always playing around with him.

“We get on very well, he spends his days in a small paddock out at Anstead and he seems to appreciate that. He is no champion but he loves to try.”

The Sturgess clan are a famous family in the Western Downs region for being involved with the sport of polocrosse.

That is how Brett first got involved with thoroughbred racing as he decided to ride his own track work for some fitness.

Many in his family have prepared gallopers, as well.

After ticking past 60 years of age, riding work is not as easy as it once was at the Bundamba-based facility but Stormtrooper is keeping him in the game for now.

“I am winding down,” Sturgess said.

“I used to ride my own work and had three horses there, that was enough. Now I have to drive half an hour to the track to get the horse worked every day.

“It is just a lot of effort but while I have still got Stormtrooper, I will keep going.”

Boom Gold Coast apprentice Jace McMurray has been in the saddle of Stormtrooper in four of his last five starts, winning twice on the sprinter.

The teenager – who has quickly racked up 22 career victories after debuting earlier this year – handled the wide gate smartly on Friday to get the gelding home in Benchmark 58 Handicap grade.

“Jace is such an exceptional rider and I always previously used apprentices and mostly girls,” he said.

“I have always thought he was a perfect horse for apprentices as he does nothing wrong and goes to the front usually and if he has no weight, he can hang on.

“I keep saying to everybody that Jace is the next big thing. He does a great job and he really thinks, he rode perfectly at Kilcoy the other day.”

Sturgess has won 22 races in his time training dating back to 2006.

The team of Sturgess and Stormtrooper head to Warwick on Monday of next week aiming to grab their 11^th victory together in a Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1200 metres.

Stormtrooper has won twice and been placed on two more occasions from eight attempts at Warwick’s Allman Park Racecourse.