Ollie Vollie races into Qld record books

Saturday 15 March 2014, 5:59pm

Evergreen galloper Ollie Vollie wrote himself into the record books as the oldest horse to win a Queensland metropolitan race at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

Ollie Vollie is an 11-year-old but Tamworth trainer Sue Grills says the gelding still thought he was a four-year-old.

Ridden a treat by Grills' former apprentice Tim Bell, Ollie Vollie ($15) beat Benny's Buttons ($3.90) by 1-1/4 lengths with a half length to Rocket to Glory ($5) third in the $100,000 Gold Coast Stakes (1200m).

Ollie Vollie was having his 93rd start after he first raced on September 17, 2005, in Kembla Grange maiden when trained by Guy Walter.

He won that race by seven lengths and Saturday's result was his 12th win overall, taking his prize money past $650,000.

A check of Queensland racing records failed to find another 11-year-old winning a stakes race but Cachondeo, Valderoy and Supersnack all won in open company as 10-year-olds in Brisbane.

The oldest Australian metropolitan winner in recent times was John McNair's galloper Mustard who won at Rosehill as a 13-year-old in August, 2010.

Grills is now looking at running Ollie Vollie in the Listed $150,000 Weetwood Handicap (1300m) at Toowoomba on April 12.

"He is just an old marvel. He hates being in the paddock and loves being in work so who knows how long he will go on for," Grills said.

Trainer Matt Dunn is toying with the idea of taking Saturday's impressive Gold Coast winner Londehero south for the for the Gosford Guineas (1200m) on April 6.

Dunn had intended to spell Londehero ($1.75) after he won a Class 6 Plate (1200m) but was then in two minds after the gelding's impressive effort.

"I would like to line him up with better company for the winter carnival. The Gosford Guineas is the perfect race for that," Dunn said.

"He could run at Gosford and have a break before the Gold Coast Guineas in May. But this is the stage of his previous campaigns where he started to get the wobbles so I will make up my mind next week."

Meanwhile, trainer Noel Doyle has firm plans for Aimee ($3) who came from an outside alley but made it three wins on end in the $100,000 Sky Channel Plate (1200m).

– AAP

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