Sport
7 August, 2024
Reigning champ eyes another quinella in Mailman Express sprint
Tony Smith says the horse who finished second last year could be the one to beat.
After taking the Mailman Express by storm last year, Tony Smith is bringing back his star sisters for a crack at Mount Isa’s riches tonight.
Smith trained the fastest two horses in 2023 and thinks they can go quicker this time around.
Diamond Dream won in a time of 11.78 for the 200m dash, while younger sister Sullivans Fleetwood was just behind in 11.94.
“Fleetwood is a star. That was her first start last year and for her to go there with the crowd, the lights and the noise, and perform like that – I was so impressed,” the Albury trainer said.
“I’d be looking out for her this year if you are bidding in the calcutta.”
Smith said he would bring horses up for the growing sprint racing circuit, with events at Eureka Creek, Sedan Dip, Jundah, Winton and Normanton providing options for quarter horse trainers.
While Charlie Prow rode his horses at last year’s Mailman Express, Smith said he would engage the services of North Queensland rider Cheryl Bethel for the circuit.
The Mailman Express has been running since 2002 and is the biggest event on the Mount Isa Race Club’s calendar.
It’s not a race against other horses on the track – instead it’s a timed run.
All entrants will get one crack at sprinting 200m down the straight of the Buchanan Park track, with the fastest 10 to make the final.
A calcutta is then held and thousands of dollars are bid as punters try to pick the horse who will record the fastest time from the standing start.
The event is named after Mount Isa Race Club legend Wally Mailman, who gave his life to both the racing and rodeo industries.
Mailman was the first ever bulldogging champion (steer wrestling) at the 1959 Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo.
He continued to compete in rodeo before taking on the mantle of rodeo judge over the next 35 years, which saw him recognised with life membership of the Australian Professional Rodeo Association.
Mailman’s love of horses from an early age saw him working on cattle and sheep properties from Augathella to Kynuna where his riding skills were honed in station yard work and breaking-in stock, to droving cattle, and eventually rodeo riding.
He eventually settled in town with his family and became involved with the race club, where he was the swab steward for three decades.
Never without his Akubra squatters’ hat on his head and easily recognisable at a distance, Mailman built a reputation for integrity.
It was through his dedication to the racing industry that the Mount Isa Race Club bestowed life membership on him, an honour that had previously been awarded to only seven people over the club’s history.
He is also the father of actress Deborah Mailman.