Phillips’ first training win a true family affair

Winton horseman Shane Phillips is still on cloud nine after recording his first training win at Wingatui on Sunday.

Phillps joined his father, John, in partnership earlier this season, and while they had five placings from their previous 18 starts, a victory had remained elusive.

That all changed on Sunday when they trekked north to Dunedin with their four-year-old gelding Woodlands (NZ) (Embellish), who finished off strong to claim the KB Contractors (1200m) by half a neck under apprentice jockey Sima Mxotha.

“I am very happy to get my first training win and to do it alongside Dad as well,” Phillips said. “It has always been my dream to train horses, it is in the blood.”

Woodlands was having his first start since placing over a mile at Ascot Park in February and Phillips was confident of a bold showing fresh-up, but he admitted to being slightly concerned with how his charge was handling the Heavy10 track conditions before putting in his strong finish.

“He has a good record fresh-up and we were quite happy with the way that he had worked during the week, and he was bucking and kicking around the paddock,” Phillps said.

“The run was quite good but he was going up and down on the spot with the wet track because he is not really a wet tracker, so it was nice to see him finish it off like he did.”

Phillips has grown up in racing and has always dreamed of following his father’s footsteps into training, although his career into the sport did take a detour into harness racing before he returned to his favourite code.

“I did a gateway programme through school where I went down to a trotting stable and helped out there for a bit,” Phillips said.

“I worked for the trotting trainer Brett Gray down in Southland, but I wasn’t really keen on harness racing, so I decided to have a crack with the gallopers. We need young trainers coming through down here.”

Through this time Phillips raced 11-win evergreen galloper Midnight Runner (NZ) with his father, and the son of Jimmy Choux only grew his love for the sport.

When Midnight Runner was coming to the end of his career last year, it was the opportune time for Philips to race another horse, and he elected to buy into Woodlands with several of his family members, and he is glad he was able to bring up his first win with the family horse.

“It is quite fitting training my first winner for my uncle, he bought the horse,” Phillips said. “Two of my uncles and their sons, and Dad and I are in the ownership, he is family horse.”

With a win now under his belt, Phillips is keen for more, and he is looking to build his boutique stable, alongside his father.

“We have got two in work and a couple of young ones, but we are always looking for more horses and to try and get more owners,” he said.