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Day of firsts for young trainers

Wednesday 13 July 2011
Glenn Davis

It was a day of training firsts for former hospital wardsman Adam O'Neill and Toowoomba rookie Zelda Landry at Eagle Farm.

O'Neill gained his trainer's licence eight years ago but only landed his first city winner when Untoward, a cast-off from the Gai Waterhouse and Mick Price stables, scored a decisive 1-1/4-length win in Wednesday's Mimiki Foundation Maiden Handicap (1600m).

Landry was licensed to train in January and broke her city duck when Crystal Doll edged out Tamban to score by a short neck in the Brothers Junior Rugby Maiden Handicap (1000m).

O'Neill, 30, began his training career in Queensland in 2004 and then shifted to Victoria to train for two years before returning home.

Landry was a former bush jockey and only took out her trainer's licence when her partner Darryl Brusnahan was disqualified last September.

"I used to ride quite a lot in the bush but I never rode many winners," Landry said.

"I had a horse I brought to Brisbane earlier in the year but he only ran second and then broke down."

O'Neill, 30, is the son of former Brisbane trainer Ian o'Neill whose best horse in recent times was Youthful who won 10 races in Queensland in the early 2000s before finishing his career in Melbourne with Tony Noonan.

"I started off training here and had six wins in four months before I went to Victoria," O'Neill said.

"I was born in Victoria and always wanted to train there."

O'Neill trained around 20 winners on the provincial circuit in Victoria but his best efforts in the city area were a few minor placings.

"I moved back home in 2006 but I had to take some time off because of a leg injury I had and worked as a wardsman at the Royal Brisbane hospital," he said.

"I was a bit disappointed to come home but the weather is warmer here. I was having a good run in Victoria and had just won a few races."

Before taking on a training career, O'Neill spent a year working at Gooree Park stud at Mudgee in NSW and also worked for Bart Cummings for nine months in Melbourne.

O'Neill has predicted a bright staying future for Untoward who was having only his fifth race start.

"I got this horse off Mick Price who told me he only wanted time and distance," O'Neill said.

"This was only a maiden but I think he's got a future here up to 2000 metres."

O'Neill first spotted Untoward when the gelding failed in a maiden at Geelong won by the Peter Snowden-trained Retrieve in July last year.

Retrieve went on to finish second in the Group One Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick and third in the Group One Victoria Derby at Flemington last year before being runner-up at the elite level in this year's Rosehill Guineas and AJC Australian Derby at Randwick.