Adding to her 241 career victories as a jockey, Wendy Peel joined esteemed company at Brewarrina on Saturday, becoming a dual-licensed winning trainer and jockey.
A landmark moment for Peel, the 33-year-old landed her first win as a trainer, and what added the cherry on top was that she booted home the victory as Dodge The Dark triumphed in the 1200m Benchmark 45 Handicap.
Starting a $3.60 chance, the 5YO Sidestep gelding won by 0.27 of a length, delivering Peel one of, if not her fondest, memories in the saddle.
“I was saying to my partner (Duncan Edwards) the other day, it’s more of a thrill when you train a winner, and on top of that, I got to ride him, which was really good,” Peel told Country Punter.
“As a trainer, they are long, hard days, and it doesn’t matter where you win; it’s good to get that result.”
Peel was thrilled to land the win for the gelding’s owners, who took a chance on the up-and-coming stable following a recommendation by former Nyngan trainer, Rodney Robb.
“Mark Ward and David Simmons purchased him (from Joe Cleary) with the Birdsville trip in mind, but Rodney said he was due for a spell at that time,” Peel said.
“He didn’t run too badly (at Betoota), but after that, he’d had enough and went out for a spell, and when I was able to get my licence, Rodney said to (Mark and David), ‘give Wendy a go’, and they gave me that opportunity, which was nice of them; It was a bit of a risk for them, so it was good to get that win for them.
“Joe Cleary, who used to train him, also sent me a really nice message the other day saying well done and that he was happy to see the horse back as a winner.”
Based in Nyngan, Peel is training out of the stables formerly occupied by Robb and is excited to establish her name in the state’s western districts.
“I’ve got six in work at the moment, and I’m trying to apply to have more horses with my dual license,” Peel said.
“It’s been good, though, as I’ve got a couple of nice young, unraced horses that will go to the trials and a couple of older ones up and running.
“We’re in a good spot, and we’ll definitely stay at Nyngan as we just bought a property near Rodney (Robb).
“The plan is to set up stables on our property and train from there, and it’s a good place to be based.
“It’s all about placing your horses where they can win; putting your horse in the worst company, and there’s the advantage of having non-TABs and picnics close by but also being only a couple of hours from those TAB meetings at Dubbo and that.”
Peel is unlikely to be riding for much longer either, with a plan to focus solely on training from 2027 onward.
“Training was always in the back of my mind,” Peel said.
“I enjoy that side of it, the training and conditioning of horses, and my partner does breaking (in), and he works with problem horses, so this is a nice stepping stone.
“It’s definitely a juggling act, but I’ll probably finish race riding by the end of the year and train full time.”
Peel will head to Cobar on Saturday with her last-start winner, and she was simply thankful to have so much positive support.
“I’ve got Cobar races this weekend and in three other races I am riding, and we will back that horse up that won,” Peel said,
“I’m lucky that I’ve got good friends and my partner helping me, and as long as I’ve got someone else, it’s manageable.”
Author’s hoofnote: It’s been a pleasure to see Wendy grow as a jockey and now trainer.
As a young (er) journalist based in Tumut, I was working for the Tumut and Adelong Times and the Tumbarumba Times in 2018.
I captured the moment Wendy won her first race, aboard the Scott Spackman-trained Didn’t Even Kiss Me, in the time-honoured Tumbarumba Cup. Later that month, she would win the Tumut Cup aboard the same horse.
A hard worker, Peel is understandably a well-liked figure in the industry and will undoubtedly be well supported as a trainer.
Good luck in the future.
