Racing
Ipswich Saturday: Mauritian-born trainer targeting Stayers Final
Mauritius-born Vishan Venkaya is living his dream of being a trainer as he awaits what could be his biggest milestone of his short career at Ipswich on Saturday.
Venkaya will saddle outsider Papal Miss in the Winter Provincial Stayer's Final which carries $70,000 in prizemoney to the winner.
Papal Miss snuck into the final after narrowly winning the last of the series heats over 2400 metres at the Gold Coast last Saturday.
Venkaya was a battling jockey when he first came to Australia despite winning a Group 1 in his homeland.
He held a dual license for a short time after suffering a bad fall at the Sunshine Coast in December, 2021 which eventually ended his riding career.
Venkaya has always wanted to enter the training ranks on a full-time basis and dreams of one day training a Group 1.
He has been training full time for the past two and a half years and has a small team of six in work at Deagon, on Brisbane's northside and he's still able to ride trackwork despite a long list of injuries suffered during his riding days.
"It was always my dream to start training when I finished riding," Venkaya said.
"I had a bad fall in Mauritius 22 years ago but it was the fall at the Sunshine Coast which ended my career.
"Thankfully, I can still ride my own horses track work but I pull up a bit stiff and sore afterwards."
Formerly trained in NSW, Papal Miss will be lining up her for 60th start which has so far yielded six wins and 11 placings.
Venkaya has guided her from her first win at her fifth start for the stable in a maiden at Kilcoy in November, 2023.
The 51-year-old is yet to train a winner from 22 starters at Ipswich and while Papal Miss is yet to win in 10 starts there, she's shown a liking for staying races winning up to 2400 metres.
The daughter of Honorius was a $41 outsider when she won at the Gold Coast and is a likely outsider again for the Winter Provincial Stayer's Final.
Venkaya rates Papal Miss a good chance of producing another upset if ridden correctly.
"She needs to be ridden quiet and on the fence," he said.
"She ran sixth in a Gold Coast race last year over 3200 metres but she took off at the 1200 metres.
"She's a big chance to be in the money over 2500 metres at Ipswich as I've got no doubt she'll get the trip."
Venkaya is hoping the prizemoney will help pay for a two-month holiday in November to see family and friends in his former home country.
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