Former jockey looking for maiden Brisbane winner

By Glenn Davis

Former jockey Debi O’Toole is hopeful Toowoomba sprinter Elected can give the fledgling trainer her maiden Brisbane city winner at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.

Elected - a Samantha Collett mount – will be chasing his second win for the O’Toole stable in the Class 5 Handicap over 1200 metres.

The Toowoomba-based O’Toole rode for 25 years in South East Queensland before walking away the from the game for five years.

“I thought it was time for a change and I wanted to go out as a jockey on my terms, which I did,” O’Toole said.

“I stepped away for five years and got a job at a local veterinary clinic.

“I used to look after all the horses for Darling Downs trainers while I was working for the vet and I did some showjumping, which I’d never done before.

“Then one day I was asked to go back to ride trackwork. It’s in my blood as mum and dad were both jockeys so I went back to ride.”

O’Toole’s was a regular rider in the state’s Central West and rated her biggest win as a jockey on Aussie Jack in the Bedourie Cup in 2017.

The 60-year-old has been training full-time for just over a year and has a 19% winning strike-rate from a stable of only four with four wins and five placings from just over 20 starters.

“I just love being around horses,” O’Toole said.

O’Toole leases Elected from Craig Erhart, who is the son of Eagle Farm trainer Lorraine Erhart and former top jockey Tony Erhart.

O’Toole landed her first city winner when Elected was successful at a midweek Ipswich meeting in December.

“To be honest I didn’t even know it was a metropolitan race that day,” O’Toole joked.

Elected is coming off two seconds on his home track at Toowoomba, the latest when beaten just over one length by Don’t Diss Around in a 1350 metre Benchmark race on March 15.

“His last run was full of merit as he got to the front too soon,” O’Toole said.

“He’s the type of horse who has to find his tempo in his races.

“I feel he’s going to be very competitive at Eagle Farm and I won’t be surprised if he runs in the first three.”