Allard with a new lease on life in Queensland

By Jordan Gerrans

In racing, the phrase ‘happy horses win races’ is relatively commonplace.

In the case of Deagon trainer Grant Allard, it is a little different.

The former NSW Central Coast-based conditioner relocated to Brisbane’s northern suburbs about two years ago.  

Not long after the Queensland move, he thought about quitting training and walking away from the sport all together, as he was frustrated with a number of elements of the caper and how it was impacting his mental state.

At his peak at Gosford, he had around 60 in work.

Now with just four gallopers in his team at Deagon – as well as working a job away from racing – Allard has a completely new lease on life.

And, the positive results have followed.

So, for Allard – it is happy trainer wins races, not the other way round.

“I am enjoying the horses more so now because I am not around them all the time,” he said.

“I now have half a normal life with how I speak to people, I am not always talking and thinking about racing. I got the passion back for the horses because of that.

“My strike-rate has improved over the last six to eight months because I finally enjoy racing again – I love racing again.

“I love training and the small things of it, I have the fire back in my belly and love being hands-on with them these days. I am happy and enjoying life.”

The Allard stable is flying this season.

They boast a 30.8% winning strike-rate and are going at almost 70% when it comes to minor placings.

While they have only had 13 runners for four winners, it is the best strike-rate the trainer has recorded for wins and placings over the last decade.

The numbers were only enhanced when Monazel scored as an outsider in the market at Clifford Park on Saturday evening in a Class 2 Handicap over 1200 metres with Jackson Murphy doing the steering.

Being able to gain employment away from the racing industry has been key, Allard says.

The opportunity to switch his brain off from the horses for a period of time has made him keen to get back to the track when he needs to be there.

“Being up here in Queensland, it has forced me to slow down as a person because it was hustle and bustle down where I was training previously,” Allard said.

“It has forced me to take a deep breath, relax and it has been the best thing for me, my life and my health – in general.

“It has made me a better person in that regard. The way the horses are racing right now, that reflects my mood and attitude.”

Monazel will head back to Toowoomba again this coming Saturday evening to start in a Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1200 metres. 

Allard has been around high-class gallopers for much of his life in racing.

He was the great Lonhro’s strapper during his breathtaking career and has won black-type events himself with gallopers Loaded and Majestic Shot.

While he has been based in NSW for much of his career, Loaded and Majestic Shot both won Listed races in the Sunshine State.

It was Majestic Shot’s triumph in the Bright Shadow of 2023 at Doomben that instigated his move north of the border.

“I desperately wanted to win a black-type race with her, as we had been close a couple of times, including running third in the Takeover Target,” the trainer said.

“That was the main goal coming up here and we won the Bright Shadow, so her job was done. I decided to stay from then on.”

Not long after Majestic Shot’s black-type breakthrough triumph, that was when Allard considered throwing it all in.

He was left with one horse in his team, who was unraced at the time.

The gelding was Merchant Flyer.

Leading into the winter carnival of 2025, Allard thinks the four-year-old son of Merchant Navy might become a contender for feature honours.

Merchant Flyer has won his last three with his latest victory in late October coming on a city Saturday at Doomben over a mile.

“I quickly found that he worked ok and I actually thought he might be one of the better horses I have ever trained,” Allard reflected on the period when he was thinking about stepping away from training.

“He came out and won a few races and I think he is a very, very good horse if we can keep him sound and happy.

“He will trial in the next fortnight, we have aimed to be patient with him. He needed the spell and it gives me enough time to give him the chance to become a carnival horse.

“He has to keep on improving but he has done a pretty good job so far, he could have won three or four more races.

“Once he gets to 2000 metres, you will see a serious horse that can sit on the pace.”

Merchant Flyer has not missed the money in his last five starts and Allard refers to his latest campaign as when ‘a boy became a man’.

With just four in work at the moment, Allard says he will slowly build up his stable numbers again but will do it in a gradual process.

He has recent stable acquisition Evasive Nature accepted to head to the Sunshine Coast Turf Club on Wednesday in a Class 1 Plate over 1200 metres with apprentice Dan McGillivray booked to ride. 

With plenty of rain predicted this week, the trainer says Evasive Nature will appreciate a heavy surface as his one career win came on a rain affected track.