Few trainers in the country boast a strike rate as good as Rockhampton’s Nick Walsh and he’s hopeful it will continue at Callaghan Park on Friday.
The 25-year-old Nick Walsh has only been training for three years and his stable numbers have grown to 14 in work.
The stable is currently striking at 31.3 per cent for the season with 15 wins from 48 starts while he has an even better strike rate over the past 12 months of 35.1 per cent with 40 wins from 114 starters.
"We're going pretty good at the moment and it's mainly because of the class of horses I'm buying now thanks to some good owners behind me," Walsh said.
What make Walsh's figure even more remarkable is that he works as well as preparing a strong team.
"I've been working as a Business Development manager for nine years but my role has changed a lot since I first started," Walsh said.
"I do a lot of my work from home and I'm on the road travelling a bit more these days which makes it a lot easier."
Walsh was a former rodeo rider and cut his teeth riding horses across Central Queensland before the training bug bit him.
Walsh has two starters lining up at Rockhampton on Friday and is hopeful both will perform well.
Valtino – a Warwick Satherley mount – tackles the Benchmark 70 Handicap over 1100 metres while Onomatopoeia will start in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Handicap over 1300 metres.
Valtino is a four-year-old daughter of Heroic Valour and was impressive winning a Benchmark race over 1050 metres at Rockhampton on January 16.
"She won well first-up and it was a touch more impressive as she needed the run," Walsh said.
"She'll need to take the next step to beat these but she'll be very competitive."
Valtino started her career with fellow Rockhampton trainer Fred Smith and has only had seven starts for Walsh.
Onomatopoeia has had three barrier trials to prepare for his first-up assignment and hasn't started since finishing behind Mister Selfie in a 1300 metre maiden against his own age at Mackay in the middle of September.
"He should race very well and 1300 metres will suit him first-up," Walsh said.
"I expect him to be looking for further later into his campaign."
