BENDIGO trainer Brian Gentle has opened a satellite stable in the New South Wales city of Orange.
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Gentle, a former Sydney-sider who moved to Bendigo in 2014, plans to split time between Victoria and New South Wales.
He had seven runners at Orange Racing’s final meeting for 2017 at Towac Park on December 30, including winning gelding I Am the Rock and third placegetter Moncarta.
Gentle, who was born in Orange, where his father Bruce was a successful jockey in the 1960s and 70s, said the move would give him a greater chance of success with his growing stable of horses.
“It’s really the best of both worlds, where the horses can spend a bit of time up here (Orange) in weaker grade racing for pretty much the same prize money as Victoria provincials,” he said.
“We don’t have to worry about running into Hayes, Price, Weir and those trainers.
“It makes a big difference when you have horses that should be winning races and they are not because you are running into those city trainers.”
Gentle believed the move made even more sense with some of his horses’ owners coming from Sydney and other parts of New South Wales.
He will initially spend at least two days a week based in Orange.
“It’s a fait bit of travelling, but I am looking forward to it,” he said.
“It’s something a bit different for the horses too.”
Gentle has seven horses accepted for Thursday’s meeting at Kilmore.
They include I Am the Rock, who is also nominated for Saturday’s meeting at Flemington.
The five-year-old, who is part-owned by Gentle, is chasing his second win for his new trainer after his transfer from the Mornington stable of Lyn Tolson late last year.
Meanwhile, Thursday’s Kilmore meeting has been brought forward two hours in response to predicted hot weather.
The meeting will now start at 10.50am and finish 2.45pm.
Friday’s scheduled Ararat meeting has been transferred to Sunday.