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By John Curtis

Multiple Group 1-winning Hawkesbury trainer Garry Frazer used one of the legendary Bart Cummings’ famous one-liners to explain Sunday’s Gosford winner Tocomah’s late entry into racing. And it’s been some sort of entry!

Having only his second start, the rising four-year-old overcame the outside barrier in a field of nine to outclass his rivals, bolting home by a widening five-plus lengths in the Provincial & Country Maiden Plate (1100m).

Tocomah (Grant Buckley) bolts in at Gosford. Image by Bradley Photographers

Skilfully ridden by Grant Buckley, Tocomah (Toronado – Mine Two), sporting blinkers, produced a brilliant burst of speed on straightening to leave $91 joint rank outsider Kayden’s Joy and Tellusastory Nic ($7) in his wake.

“Bart always used to say that the cheapest thing in racing was patience,” the experienced Frazer said this evening.

“Tocomah was being prepared for the Magic Millions yearling sale two years ago when he cut a hind leg in a paddock accident.

“It was a really bad injury and took months to heal. As a result, he didn’t go to the sale and then came to me to be broken in.

“He kept going sore in his front joints, and we had him x-rayed, which revealed they were arthritic even though he was only a two-year-old.

“The recommendation was to turn him out for three months, but his part-owner Greg White decided to give him 12 months off.

“That’s why he hasn’t raced until this month, and it has been a blessing in disguise. Touch wood, Tocomah is as sound as a bell now.”

Frazer today wore a cap honouring the first of his four Group 1 winners (Turridu) – and perhaps it was a future Group 1 omen in regard to his brilliant Gosford winner!

“I’ve looked after the cap because it means a lot to me and I haven’t worn it in years,” he said. “I got it made the day before Turridu won the 1995 Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm.

“Mick Dittman rode him and said he wouldn’t get beat the way he had galloped in his final piece of work.”

Frazer also won the George Main Stakes at Royal Randwick later that year with Turridu, and subsequently the 1999 Champagne Stakes there with Quick Star and 2019 Robert Sangster Classic with Spright at Morphettville.

Tocomah is the first foal of Spright’s older half-sister Mine Two (by I Am Invincible), whom Frazer also trained and won a two-year-old race with her at Randwick in 2014 before collecting a Group 3 placing at Rosehill Gardens the following year.

He also has Mine Two’s American Pharoah filly, who is rising two years of age and she will race as Yankees.

The multi-skilled Frazer also holds a greyhound licence, and has trained nine winners from his last 24 starters with two of the brilliant Fernando Bale’s progeny.

His dog Ice King boasts seven victories from 16 starts, and his bitch Sunrise Dancer has won two of her only five racetrack appearances.