If you were at Albury Race Club on Sunday, you could have easily mistaken Doug Gorrel for being the winning trainer of the $150,000 Southern Districts Country Championships qualifier.
Racing the well-backed Asgarda (Kayla Nisbet, $4), the Wagga galloper was tenacious in defeat, holding on for a thrilling second behind eventual winner Bianco Vilano (Craig Williams, $2.60) from the Ron Stubbs yard.
In the running second, Asgarda qualified for the $1 million Country Championships final at Royal Randwick on April 6, which was a good reason for the Wagga stable to celebrate.
“It was a big thrill and very exciting,” Gorrel told NSW Country and Picnic Racing.
“I think it was so exciting because the owners were there and so happy, and even though we ran second, it felt like we won.”
A few years ago, Gorrel was based in Canberra and making a name for himself on the Picnic Racing circuit with the likes of Southern Gamble and, more recently, Would Be King.
Since moving to Wagga, Gorrel has built his team up and now trains some quality country gallopers, but he was the first to admit that Sunday’s result was the most significant in his stable’s history.
“It probably is the biggest result for stable,” he said.
“We won a couple of Federals at Canberra and a lot of Picnic Cups, and don’t get me wrong, we love racing at the picnics, and we’ve won some nice races, but we’ve never won a ticket to a million-dollar race.
“For that reason alone, this is the best second we could ever ask for; we feel like the winners.”
Gorrel described it as a ‘determined run’ by Asgarda, who did cop a little interference in the final stages of the 1400m event.
“She was coming again on the post, and the winner certainly wasn’t pulling away,” he said.
“Kayla did look at the film after the race, and the main interference was from inside us, and we did bump with the winner, but he was too good but not much better than us.
“We’re just hoping for a bit more luck in the final, and in those races, the horses that win generally have a trouble-free run, and that’s what we’ll be hoping for.”
When asked about Asgarda, Gorrel said she has a bit of attitude about her, but as she gets older, she is turning into a real professional.
“Nelly (Anaelle Gangotena), my trackwork rider, has had a big opinion of the horse for a long time, and we knew pretty early on that we had something smart,” he said.
“She can be a handful, and sometimes that’s a worry with those mares, but at the same time, you want them to have that will to win, but they can overstep.
“She’s got that about her, but she’s been really good this time in, and on the day, she was really sensible and calm.
“She keeps improving, and we’ll look to have her bright and ready for the final.”
Kooringal Stud bred and now races the four-year-old The Brothers War mare, and Gorrel was grateful to have them back in his stable.
“They have been really good to me,” Gorrel said.
“When I turned up here in Wagga and hadn’t done a lot of business with them being over in Canberra, they didn’t need to support me,” he said.
“Plus, being on the smaller side and not having big-money owners, we hadn’t had a chance to buy any of their good yearlings, but they gave me Dantain’s Magic and a few others, and it is a big thrill to get a nice horse for them.
“Plus, the owners in it are all from Griffith, and you don’t get any more salt of the earth and country than that.”
Gorrel dropped Asgarda off to Kooringal Stud on Tuesday, and she will have a quick break there before being primed for the final.
“She’ll spend a week to ten days there putting her head down and being a horse, and I think that will be beneficial for her,” Gorrel said.
“She’ll probably have one run into the final, but I’m not 100% sure what we’ll do.
“She might have one barrier trial, or if the club lets us, she might even gallop against a smart one, but right now, I am leaning towards giving her one more start.”
The Wagga trainer appears to have it all sorted, even confirming that Kayla Nisbet will keep the ride on Asgarda.
“Kayla has done nothing wrong and has given us no reason to pull her off,” Gorrel said.
“She is a Sydney class jockey but hasn’t had the same opportunities, and there are very few better riders in the bush, and we lose nothing by keeping her on.”
Country Championships action continues this weekend, with the Mid North Coast qualifier at Tuncurry-Forster on Saturday ahead of the Central Districts qualifier at Mudgee on Sunday.
For more on the 2024 Country Championships, click here.
