Racing: Trainer on a winter winner

By MIKE DILLON

Paul O'Sullivan went two wins clear in the trainers' premiership yesterday and it meant more to him than you might think.

Not that winning that title is something new to the Matamata trainer - he won 10 premierships in partnership with his father, legendary trainer Dave O'Sullivan.

But this time he did something to deliberately change his fortunes.

Four months ago, Paul O'Sullivan switched back to the feeding patterns that won his father 11 premierships, and says the difference has been enormous.

At a time when the stable is traditionally winless because it has no effective winter horses, Paul O'Sullivan has won nine races with his previous 16 runners.

"I've gone back to what dad did and the difference has been remarkable. Lance [O'Sullivan] says the horse just keeps going forward.

"With what we're feeding them, which is what dad and I did for 10 years, they look bigger and stronger. The day after the races they look better.

"Lance says instead of running fourth, they stick their heads out and win. The difference is staggering.

"I guess it's a case of, if it's not broken don't fix it. I'm training them like I used to."

Paul O'Sullivan, who went into yesterday's Matamata meeting tied in the premiership lead with Dunedin training partners Brian and Shane Anderton, won with Gem Dancer, now unbeaten in four starts, and juvenile Santiago.

"It was important to the stable's chances that the track was reasonable today," he said. "The 2-year-old was beaten by the heavy track last start and really appreciated the good footing today."

O'Sullivan saw Gem Dancer as having a future way beyond being a wet-tracker.

"Take Mr Tiz and a couple of others out of the equation and I rate her as good as any of the sprinters we've had in the stable.

"Wait until she gets a trail. I told Lance this time that it wasn't really the time to take a trail - I told him to jump and run, but wait until she comes at them with the last run, you'll see a difference horse."

Santiago, part-owned by Paul O'Sullivan, will either be sold or sent to the South Island to race.

"If he doesn't get sold, we'll send him to the better tracks in the South Island, because he's not as good in the wet."

Dave O'Sullivan's best three results - 99, 103 and 104 - show how the premiership has changed over a decade.

When O'Sullivan scored the 103, he came close to being the first trainer to clock more winners than the premiership-winning jockey - son Lance weighed in with 103 the same year.

Paul O'Sullivan was on 55 wins after yesterday. The Andertons are on 43 and the Graeme Rogerson-Keith Hawtin partnership, which went winless yesterday, has 52.

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It wasn't all smiles at Matamata yesterday, though, as enigmatic galloper Denholm finished his career in disappointing style.

The one-time handicapping hot-shot was pulled up in the steeplechase and was later found to have bled from both nostrils.

His connections informed stipendiary stewards that Denholm will not race again.

Earlier in the day, jumps jockey Jam Gillies was take to hospital with a suspected broken collarbone after his mount, Prince Of Glory, fell at the last fence of the hurdles.