Big season predicted for seasoned Surgenor
ARDMORE Lodge trainer Joanne Surgenor is looking to produce a big season as she enters her twelfth term as a trainer.
The daughter of jockey John Surgenor credits much of her success in those 12 years to legendary trainer Colin Jillings, who she worked for before taking up her dream job as private trainer for Peter Walker.
“Colin took me under his wing, I still learn a lot from him,” she said.
“When I first started out training he was amazing. He was so helpful with advice and came out to look at my horses for me. He’s an amazing teacher, and a really patient guy as well.”
For Surgenor, racing was not a choice, it was more of a lifestyle – which has seen her traverse the world in search of industry experience.
She began her career riding track work for Gareth Jackson as a 13-year-old school girl in Christchurch before moving to Auckland to work for Haunui Farm. Surgenor then moved to Japan where she worked for Nasu Training Farm in a diverse role that ultimately led her to travelling with the Japanese equestrian team to the 2000 Sydney Olympics as a groom.
Surgenor said the varied roles throughout ownership, track work and even the Olympic stage have all helped shape her into the trainer she is today.
“I rode track work in Japan and was also schooling jumpers and did a little bit of show jumping as well,” she said.
“It was an amazing experience being at the Olympics. It actually gave me a lot of skills. I did a lot of training, it was quite disciplined and we worked hard.”
The wide ranging level of training she experienced means the trainer knows when the stable has a hot prospect on their hands, and Surgenor believes she has another well above average racehorse in the form of five-year-old gelding Fully Funded.
The seven-win son of Fully Fledged was gritty when winning at Ruakaka last weekend after a short lay-off due to injury and track conditions.
Surgenor said the horse is full of energy and loves to fight.
“He came out of the race at Ellerslie bouncing. He was very well. I was hoping to go to Te Rapa but he got a stone bruise. Then I was hoping to go back to Ellerslie but the track was way too heavy, so we were tossing up whether to turn him out or not.
“I thought I’d put him in at Ruakaka. He trained on really well and I was pretty confident going up for the race, but I was worried he might be on the fresh side. But he dug deep, he’s a good horse.”
Surgenor is now eyeing loftier targets for the gelding next season with the Group One Railway Stakes on New Year’s Day a potential race on the cards.
“He’s been put away now, he loves Ellerslie, so if he can make it into the Railway that would be fantastic.”