Oliver puts on true patriotic display

By Jordan Gerrans

Former jockey Josh Oliver has declared training a winner in his own name is almost as satisfying as claiming a black-type race in the saddle.

After a couple of short comebacks, the 28-year-old has thrown himself into training in recent months with a few gallopers on the Darling Downs at the Bahram training and spelling centre.

Oliver walks away from race riding with a couple of Listed victories to his name, headlined by the Weetwood Handicap triumph back in 2017 aboard Col ‘N’ Lil as well as a Silk Stocking win riding Without A Promise at the Gold Coast in the same year.

He now knows what it feels like to train his own winner after True Patriot won the last event from Stanthorpe on Saturday afternoon.

“It was almost bloody better than riding a Listed winner, even though it was only a non-TAB,” Oliver said with a smile on Monday morning.

“You are doing all the work to get the horse over the line.

“It was a good day – I would love to be able to train more winners – but you just need to have the horses. The horse has come through the run well; he was shining on Monday.”

True Patriot was the first horse Oliver took to the races of his own in March of this year.

The seven-year-old chestnut has been a headache for Oliver and his connections – facing retirement a few times – but now with a victory under his belt, the team are glad they stuck with the son of Bon Hoffa.

He did not just win for Oliver on Saturday, he absolutely bolted in to hand him his maiden victory.

While it was only a Benchmark 45 Handicap over 1200 metres, True Patriot skipped away to score by almost five lengths with apprentice Mitch Goring doing the steering.

“He gave me a hard prep last prep, we gave him a long spell and he has come back a lot better this time,” the former hoop said.

“We were scratching our heads last prep about the horse, thinking we were doing something wrong but he has come back strong.

“It was a relief to get a win, especially with him.

“Training is obviously very different to being a jockey, you are doing all the hard work with them – it is a lot of time and money.

“When they win for you as a trainer, it is a massive relief.

“You want to go well for the owners of the horse, as well.”

According to Racing And Sports’ statistics, the Kiwi rode 338 career winners before pulling up stumps because of his battle with weight earlier this year.

He last rode a full season in 2019-20 and has had a couple of short-lived comebacks since.

Oliver’s last race day engagement was in May of this year at Esk.

Alongside partner Emma Ljung, a former jockey herself, Oliver is content dabbling in a few racehorses as a trainer at Bahram as well as running a couple of small businesses at Toowoomba.

He still rides his own work and will give fellow local trainer Paul Wallace a hand at Clifford Park every now and again.

Ljung – who shares in the ownership of True Patriot - last rode in a race in June of 2020 and still rides plenty of trackwork on the Darling Downs.

After shifting across from New Zealand, Oliver was a consistent rider in the Sunshine State between 2015-16 and 2020 – piloting more than 50 winners in five straight seasons.

As well as winning a Weetwood, he was also crowned champion jockey at Clifford Park during his riding tenure.

“I would love to get a few more horses but I want to get a handle on the couple I have first,” he said of his own training stable ambitions. 

True Patriot is likely to head to a Ratings Band 0 – 52 Handicap over 1300 metres at Clifford Park on Melbourne Cup day, with Oliver eager to see him get over a little more ground.

“It will be a big confidence booster for him what happened at Stanthorpe, I think he will win another one or two for me,” Oliver said.

“I will keep chasing that for him.”

Oliver also prepares maiden galloper Rock A Bye Ivy who he thinks is a nice type who will win a few races over a staying trip.