Parker back with a bang after stylish breakthrough victory

By Jordan Gerrans

After around 25 years away from the training ranks in the Sunshine State, Mackay’s Thomas Parker says he now has the spring in his step he needs to press on with the return following a breakthrough victory.

The Parker stable saluted for the first time in more than two decades on Tuesday afternoon as mare Gigi Fille scored in dominant fashion in maiden grade at the Ooralea facility.

Racing Australia’s records state the win was the first for Parker as a trainer, which came at just his third attempt after recently purchasing Gigi Fille.

But, as Parker details, the 58-year-old from the ‘Sugar City’ previously held a licence through the 1990s alongside his father, who has the same name.

In the older days, Parker’s father was the face of the training operation with his son helping out around the stable.

Parker senior was a proud man to see his son land his comeback winner on Tuesday as the stayer in the making scored by more than three lengths.

“I try and get him involved when he can because his knowledge is great, he is set to turn 86 this year,” the trainer said of his father. 

“I like to have his input and let him look at what is going on, he has very valuable knowledge.

“He was elated to see the horse win. He watched it on television.”

The Parker team enjoyed a string of winners through the '90s.

“My father has the same name so I am not sure how it was recorded in the old days as he held a licence, as well,” Parker said.

“We both had winners in that time.

“My dad was a very successful trainer in those days and was pulling the reins and I was just assisting him. I did have my trainer's licence and had some winners back.”

Gigi Fille started her racing career with the Rosehill partnership of Lee and Cherie Curtis and contested the lucrative Magic Millions Maiden Plate earlier this year.

The Curtis’ moved on the daughter of All Too Hard after 10 race starts with Parker and his fellow part-owner Dwayne Dickson swooping on the mare.

She had two race starts at Mackay through August and September before finding a suitable winning race on Tuesday.

Parker lauded the influence of Dickson as the part-owner has trusted the returning trainer through the purchasing and training process.

“We had a bit of bad luck in the horse’s first couple of starts for us,” Parker said.

“I did have the blinkers off as well as the blinkers had been on for 10 of her previous starts.

“We tried to use them in some work and she did not appreciate them, so we took them off and put winkers on.

“That could have been a contributing factor in Tuesday’s performance as that is how we expected her to run or even be in the race a bit more than her last couple of starts.”

Parker was born-and-bred in Mackay and is a real estate agent during the day away from the gallopers.

In his time away from training officially, he owned gallopers with other trainers as well as strapping on race day at times.

He previously was a part-owner of the in-form Lily Allez – who is trained by Raymond Williams at Emerald – before recently selling his share.

Lily Allez has won four of her last five starts and heads to Friday's Country Stampede qualifier at Ewan. 

Gigi Fille was transferred into the care of fellow Mackay trainer Russell Adair earlier this year as Parker waited for his licence to be reinstated.

“I just felt that I could offer something myself doing it,” Parker said of his training return.

“You question why you are doing it all with the early mornings when you aren’t getting results but a win like Tuesday puts a spring in your step.

“I have always owned horses and had an interest in it, I used to help trainers here in Mackay by strapping which I did for a number of years.

“I thought I would give it a go myself and go back into it again. I have had a lot of help and support from a number of people in the industry, including the Adair stable taking her on for a period of time.

“There is more than one cog in a wheel with something like this and they all need to come into line for this to happen.”

After winning over 1560 metres on Tuesday, Parker is considering sending his mare to a race over the same trip at Mackay later this month in Benchmark 60 grade or head to a race at Emerald a few days later over a little further than a mile.