Chief Stipe Posted June 4 Posted June 4 Chris Waller gives hobby trainer reason to believe he can complete Stradbroke fairytale www.racenet.com.au As he counts down the days to a fairytale crack at the 2025 Stradbroke Handicap, larrikin Brisbane hobby trainer Craig Cousins has the words of Chris Waller ringing in his ears. It will be a David versus Goliath battle in the Stradbroke as 60-year-old Cousins, who only has three horses in work, takes on some of racing's biggest names. Cousins knows he has a good horse and a good Stradbroke chance with home-bred hero The Inflictor, who is a $15 chance in Queensland's most prestigious race on Saturday week. The Inflictor qualified for the Stradbroke by scoring a golden ticket when winning The Gateway at Eagle Farm and he rubber-stamped his claims by scoring at Doomben last month with Nash Rawiller in the saddle. Enter Waller, who has infused Cousins with extra confidence and belief heading into the $3m Stradbroke. "I had never met Chris Waller before, I had just seen him from a distance and that was about it," Cousins said. "He's obviously a master at what he does. "I was walking around after the race the other day and I heard someone yelling, ‘Craig, Craig'. "I recognised the voice and it was Chris Waller. He shook my hand and congratulated me. "Chris said, ‘this is what racing is about, this is a great story'. He said he wished me all the best for the Stradbroke. "I told Chris he would probably have a good Stradbroke horse himself. "He said, ‘don't worry about mine Craig, yours is a genuine chance'." Four-year-old The Inflictor has won $499,000 in prizemoney and will add another $1.8m to that haul if he scores the Group 1 Stradbroke at Eagle Farm. It would be one of the greatest stories in Stradbroke history. Cousins juggles his day job as a truck driver with his work training horses but will put the handbrakes on the truck driving job next week so he can enjoy Stradbroke week. He has even bought himself a new suit for Stradbroke week and several new ties. He plans to lap up the week and go to Breakfast With The Stars at Eagle Farm on Tuesday as well as the barrier draw function at The Star on Tuesday night. "Life wouldn't change too much if I won the Stradbroke, but it would be a bloody good feeling," Cousins said. "My horse's win the other day was really impressive, I didn't realise how impressive it was until I watched a replay later. "I can only have three horses at the one time, if I have any more it's too hard doing it one-out. "I do get an occasional hand off different friends, but most of the time it's just me. "This horse will have a red-hot go in the Stradbroke." 3 Quote
Freda Posted June 4 Posted June 4 Yes...and illustrates that Chris Waller still retains an appreciation for a battler. Which gives me some small hope that his presence on this committee that has surfaced might stem the elitist stance that must inevitably come from the others. 2 Quote
Chief Stipe Posted June 4 Author Posted June 4 17 minutes ago, Freda said: Yes...and illustrates that Chris Waller still retains an appreciation for a battler. A bit negative to label Cousins a "battler". He's living the dream. A truck driver probably on very good coin and three horses in training as a hobby. Now bought a new suit and pitching up to all the parties with a horse that has already won $500k. His profit margin on that stake money will be huge. Now aiming for the famous Stradbroke worth $1.8m!! I'd love to be battling that much. Quote
Freda Posted June 4 Posted June 4 (edited) You miss the point...and I wasn't being derogatory towards Craig at all. Bet there are plenty who wish they could live the same dream! Edited June 4 by Freda 1 Quote
Chief Stipe Posted Wednesday at 11:24 PM Author Posted Wednesday at 11:24 PM 1 hour ago, Freda said: You miss the point...and I wasn't being derogatory towards Craig at all. Bet there are plenty who wish they could live the same dream! Yes but the term "battler" is derogatory in my opinion and often self-deprecating but not in a humourous sense. From what I've seen most trainers struggle until the champion comes along and then many would argue anyone can train the good ones! 1 Quote
Special Agent Posted Sunday at 06:07 AM Posted Sunday at 06:07 AM On 6/5/2025 at 9:42 AM, Freda said: You miss the point...and I wasn't being derogatory towards Craig at all. Bet there are plenty who wish they could live the same dream! Without knocking the high profile trainers who train large numbers and have all the stress associated with that, it seems the colour pieces on the small time trainers are the ones that capture the imagination of the reader or viewer. Nothing can capture intrigue like the underdog. The backbone of the industry should never be under estimated, nor what the backbone is. 1 Quote
curious Posted Sunday at 06:27 AM Posted Sunday at 06:27 AM One thing that really struck me about the ESPN coverage of the Belmont this morning was that all the promotion and advertising was entirely focused on the excitement, athleticism and courage of the horses, riders and races, not the side shows. If you want to captiveate a new and growing audience of participants, why wouldn't you do that? 3 Quote
Chief Stipe Posted Sunday at 06:52 AM Author Posted Sunday at 06:52 AM 23 minutes ago, curious said: One thing that really struck me about the ESPN coverage of the Belmont this morning was that all the promotion and advertising was entirely focused on the excitement, athleticism and courage of the horses, riders and races, not the side shows. If you want to captiveate a new and growing audience of participants, why wouldn't you do that? Yep. All about the horse, the Jockey and the Trainer. I'm sure the Owners were well looked after but I couldn't see the BGP there in the stands. Quote
Chief Stipe Posted Sunday at 06:54 AM Author Posted Sunday at 06:54 AM One thing that I did notice was how close the public can get to the horse. Much closer than an Owner in NZ. Quote
curious Posted Sunday at 07:01 AM Posted Sunday at 07:01 AM (edited) 7 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said: One thing that I did notice was how close the public can get to the horse. Much closer than an Owner in NZ. Yes, in my time there owners and guests could go in the saddling paddock and at the tracks that I loved, the public could get right to the rail there and watch horses saddled etc. Very different approach/focus. Edited Sunday at 07:02 AM by curious Quote
curious Posted Sunday at 10:11 PM Posted Sunday at 10:11 PM 15 hours ago, curious said: One thing that really struck me about the ESPN coverage of the Belmont this morning was that all the promotion and advertising was entirely focused on the excitement, athleticism and courage of the horses, riders and races, not the side shows. If you want to captiveate a new and growing audience of participants, why wouldn't you do that? 1 Quote
Chief Stipe Posted 17 hours ago Author Posted 17 hours ago 2025 Stradbroke Handicap: Cejay Graham to ride The Inflictor www.racenet.com.au Pressure is your friend. Young jockey Cejay Graham has those words ringing in her ears as she prepares for the "pinch myself moment" of riding in her first Stradbroke Handicap. The words were delivered by Graham's mentor, trainer Kelly Schweida, after the young jockey came from Port Macquarie on the New South Wales mid-coast to be Schweida's apprentice in the big smoke in Brisbane a couple of years ago. And never have they been more fitting as Graham, 26, prepares to ride Queensland fairytale horse The Inflictor in Saturday's $3m Stradbroke at Eagle Farm. "The best bit of advice Kelly has given me was that pressure is your friend," Graham said. "You've got to absorb the pressure and embrace it. "That's one thing he said to me that really stuck, because coming from a few knock-backs early in my riding career I wasn't initially too confident with some things and he just said ‘don't let the pressure get to you'. "If you don't have pressure, you probably aren't going really good, are you? "So when you put it like that, you want the pressure, don't you? "It is a pretty cool saying that is stuck in my head." The Inflictor winning The Gateway at Eagle Farm to collect a golden ticket into the Stradbroke Handicap. Picture: Trackside Photography Graham might hail from New South Wales, but she now considers herself as Queensland as the Great Barrier Reef. And that's just as well because a lot of Queensland will be supporting her – and the remarkable story of The Inflictor and his 60-year-old truck driving hobby trainer Craig Cousins – in the Stradbroke. The Inflictor is the home-bred hero who qualified for the Stradbroke by winning the ballot exempt race of The Gateway at Eagle Farm last December. Graham rode the four-year-old gelding to win that day and a lot of water has gone under the bridge since then. She is pinching herself that she has a chance to ride him to glory in the Stradbroke, in a race which will be her fourth career Group 1 ride. "Craig was pretty adamant he wanted to stick with me straight after The Gateway, so it's great that he has done that and its fantastic to be given the opportunity," Graham said. "It's real pinch myself kind of stuff. "I think there will be a lot of Queenslanders cheering for us on the day. "I've done a lot of work with him behind the scenes, I definitely know the horse inside and out. "He is tough when he leads, but he doesn't have to lead. "I think he's got a great chance. "And I've really got to thank Kelly (Schweida) for his support as I wouldn't have got the gig riding up in Brisbane without him. "And if it wasn't for his continued support coming out of my apprenticeship, I might have struggled a bit. "He has backed me 100 per cent and I owe him everything." Quote
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