JOHN Tormey readily admits Fremarksgonzo is a pacer with 'limited' ability, albeit one who's displayed plenty of consistency throughout his racing career.
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But the next time the Charlton trainer takes the six-year-old pacing gelding to the racetrack he will have the opportunity to post a rare three-straight wins.
The son of Shadyshark Hanover this week made it back-to-back wins since his return from a three-month spell following a strong win in the four-year-old and older NR 51 to 54 at Mildura's City Oval Paceway on Wednesday night.
The gelding's sixth career win at start number 94 came quickly on top of his fifth at Mildura the previous week, boosting his career earnings to a solid $60,435 plus bonuses.
Not a bad return on investment for a roughly $5000 purchase.
Tormey said while you would always want more wins, Fremarksgonzo always gave a good account of himself - a statement backed by his high number of minor placings (33).
He added the gelding, like many horses from the central Victorian region, had found a niche for himself by running in Mildura.
"He's just a horse, but he's come back pretty good," Tormey said.
"I was going to take him to the trials at Bendigo on the Sunday before his last win, but I thought I had another horse in, and the field wasn't super strong, so I'll take him up there (Mildura) and give him his trial up there.
"I was thinking if he finished midfield I wouldn't be too perturbed, but he won that one.
"He has been working well at home. He has always been a relatively consistent horse, always around the second, third or fourth mark."
His back-to-back wins came as a relief to Tormey, after Fremarksgonzo's last preparation was aborted due to a mystery ailment.
"He was no good the last time in and he was crook the whole time, so we gave him another spell," he said.
"I really don't know what happened to him. He's a horse who has always had a crook liver and needed attention, ever since we've had him.
"Every blood test was out but we couldn't get him right, so we gave him a three-month spell.
"But he's come back well, looks healthy and is racing well."
The win continued the blossoming partnership between the Tormeys - John and daughter Ellen - and young driver Jordan Leedham.
The talented teenager notched a race-to-race double at Mildura, also steering King Solomon to victory for Mildura trainer Andrew Vozlic.
A big week for Leedham included a win aboard the Ellen Tormey-trained Shaq at Kilmore on Tuesday night and a victory on Thursday at Cobram for Shelbourne trainer Kate Hargreaves with the three-year-old filly Elita, giving him at least one win over three consecutive days.
John Tormey again predicted a bright future for the former Tasmanian, of whom nearly half of his 19 career wins in just a few months, have been for the Tormeys.
"There's something about him, he's nice and cool and he just doesn't get flustered, and he looks after the horses very well," he said.
"He's had a good run with our horses."
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