Trainer-Milkman who saved the day and backed Poon retires
WHEN popular Bendigo-based trainer Brad Cole recently decided to call time on a 40-year career, there were plenty of photos on the wall to reflect upon.
Multiple wins at Flemington might be the pinnacle, but it’s a photo with superstar Hong Kong jockey Matthew Poon that is sure to raise the greatest number of questions in years to come.
Poon, who is having a career-best season in Hong Kong against the worlds best such as Zac Purton and Hugh Bowman, has ridden just once in Melbourne across his stellar career.
And you guessed it – the horse Red’s Sister Rosie was trained by B.M. Cole.
While it might be the only photo occupying the trainers wall space for finishing last – there’s a story to go with it.
When the Moonee Valley Racing Club lured the then South Australian-based apprentice with a cult like following to its annual Lunar New Year race meeting back in 2017, the club transformed into ‘Poonee Valley’ ahead of his anticipated arrival.
But with one hiccup.
Despite his manager and club officials best efforts, he was left without a ride come acceptance time.
In a last minute bid, this author in a former life of race club administration dialled in an SOS phone call to an old friend to lean on a favour - his third emergency was listed without a rider and asked the trainer to take a chance on the inexperience rider if his filly gained a start.
“You didn’t have a ride for him and we happily chucked him on,” Cole reflected.
“We were happy to help out...we enjoyed ourselves and it was a bit of a thrill!
“I’ve watched him kick on and all the ‘Poon Train’ stuff and he is a pretty smart rider these days so we look back on that night well.
“I have got a picture on my wall with him in the house.”
But Cole’s career goes well beyond a night of goodwill under lights at The Valley.
In fact, most of Cole’s day is usually completed well before dawn.
Just months after his encounter with the ever-popular Poon, Cole was fighting for his life and was air flown to Melbourne after what he thought was the flu turned almost fatal and left him in a coma for three weeks. He then had to learn how to walk and feed himself again.
Doctors needn’t have worried about Cole’s determination however – he is one of few men that would be able to balance the early hours of being a milkman and a horse trainer!
Cole was hired by Symons Dairy by a fellow local trainer George Symons in 1994 and continues to be familiar face to cafes and supermarkets in Bendigo each morning on his morning milk run.
“I’ve worked all my life from dark to dark ,” he says.
“The alarm went off at quarter to four and I got up and got the horses ready.
“I was always the first at the track and got them all worked and fed and rush off to work at the dairy I went.
“Get the day job done and pick the kids up from school and half the time they would come back and help me at the stables in the afternoon.
“You don’t have to rock me (to sleep)!”
One of the last horses he put a saddle on was aptly named, It’s The Milkman.
WATCH: Brad Cole in December 2017 on his training comeback
Prior to his milk run, Cole worked in supermarkets and remembers protestors outside his Sims Supermarket store fighting against the introduction of barcodes (of all things) in the 1980’s.
This was at about the same time a young and ambitious 23-year-old working at Epsom racecourse took out his trainer’s license in 1985.
Starting his journey in racing just after Gala Supreme’s Melbourne Cup win in 1973, Cole walked into the stables of his trainer Ray Hutchins just a few years later and would then go on to work under Jim Moloney.
But it was his late father Kevin’s influence, a life member of the Woodend Racing Club who passed away when his son was just fifteen years of age, who got the youngster hooked on the game.
“I used to go around and pick up the tickets off the ground and get a bit of pocket money, someone was always throwing away a scratching ticket and I’d collect it,” Cole remembers.
Cole’s interest wasn’t in the animal at first but profiling horses - long before today’s world of data-driven punters.
“Before people started profiling horses form, we would have these big cylinders at home and had every horse racing and their preferences - it could be wet trackers, best distance, tracks, all of that,” he explained.
“As a kid I knew form inside out… back then you’d go to the races and all they had was the last three starts printed and you couldn’t build a history on the horse.
“We had some good collects and have some great memories with my Dad.
“I said to my Dad then I would be a trainer when I grew up and I achieved that but unfortunately he wasn’t around to see it.”
Not long after Cole moved to Bendigo in 1987, after short training stints at Romsey and Woodend, the decision to pay $3000 one evening at the Showgrounds sales for a fiery and unwanted daughter of Rare Pearl, later named Olivet Lady, set him on his way.
Winning three of her first four starts, she was responsible for wins at Flemington and Sandown and earned cheques in 34 of her 39 starts and would later produce Cole’s most winning racehorse – eight-time victor Sandler whose wins included over the Warrnambool Carnival in 2010.
$1000 jumper Union Lad would also provide a win at Headquarters while horses such as Stella the Boss and Omo River are also regulars on the photo wall at home.
But for all the good memories, Cole admits the days of hobby horse trainers may well be numbered.
“It was always a childhood dream to be a horse trainer and I trained some winners but gee it’s tough now,” he admitted.
“When the wolf was at the door you used to be able to shoot up to Mildura or Nhill or somewhere and get a payday but now all the big boys go there too.
“It does crucify the little bloke to a degree… it’s got harder and harder to get the right quality of horse.
“I just wanted to have fun with the boys who were my owners and I didn’t like leading people on.
“Maybe I was too honest to be a horse trainer!”
Having recently returned from a trip to Canada and Alaska, a new caravan parked at home, an interest in several greyhounds and a milk run still to complete, Cole can now leave it in the hands of Hong Kong’s best to give Matthew Poon his next big break.
