Boss thrives one-on-one with horseman Pat

Boss thrives one-on-one with horseman Pat
Patrick McGuire has always put quality ahead of quantity and will aim up
for a fourth straight win with his only horse in work Latin Boss at Cluden
Park on Sunday.
The Wulguru trainer and former top western jockey says Latin Boss is
showing the benefits of specialised attention with a purple patch of form.
Now 62, the accomplished horseman still rides his own work and
believes Latin Boss could be as good as his former good sprinters Slick
Score and Lesner.
“I’ve never had more than four. Any more’s too many and we mainly just
train for ourselves,” McGuire said.
“With just a few you can do them justice, spend the time on them and
give them every chance.
“I’ve just got the one in work. I’ve bought another one that’s a maidener
and he’s spelling but this bloke is it at the moment and he’s going great.”
Latin Boss has had five starts for McGuire for a second and three
straight wins going into Sunday’s Ladbrokes BM 70 Hcp (1000m).
Formerly trained by the Hayes operation in Victoria, McGuire picked up
the four-year-old for just $8500 in an online auction early this year after
an overseas sale for the gelding fell through.
The galloper was in quarantine when he was sold.
“He was supposed to go overseas but was vaccinated for Hendra Virus
and they wouldn’t allow him to go,” McGuire said
“So they put him up for auction and I was lucky enough to buy him.
“I reckon he was so cheap because he was still in quarantine.
“He’d had three months off before I got him.
“His first two were both good runs and then he really hit his straps. He
ran second to Esprit Lad and then won the three straight with Nathan
Thomas on him.

“And they’ve been on all sorts of surfaces. He won here on a good track,
on a wet track in Cairns and then a hard track at Ewan.
“Just giving him three weeks between starts seems to be working with
him.
“Even though he’s drawn 11 on Sunday, I like the fact there’s plenty of
speed in the race.
“He can sit just off them on a good pace and still produce a sprint. I think
he’s a good chance again.”
McGuire is part of a racing dynasty that has a long history in Richmond
and grew up around horses from the time he could walk.
He started race riding when he was just 13 and weighed just 33kg and
rode as an amateur until he was encouraged to become a professional
and serve an apprenticeship.
“When I first started riding in races I was so light I used to use two lead
bags and people used to help carry my saddles for me.
“I was an amateur back there and didn’t claim anything. They made me
do an apprenticeship with dad (Colin) and even then I had no claim
because I rode a lot of winners.
“Mum, dad, uncles and grandmothers were all at Richmond.
“Dad and uncle Jim used to drove cattle and break in horses. They used
to break in horses for the army.
“Dad had a shearing contract for a while, he and mum had grocery
shops and had cattle for a long time on the town common.
“It was the best way to grow up. You learned to work and it was a lot
easier than these days.
“We used to breed ponies, break them in and bring them down to
Townsville by train and sell them at the auction just across the road from
the race course.
“We had an old stallion and big mob of mares.
“Myself and my brothers used to break them in and my mates would
come over from around the streets and ride them and there’d be ponies
everywhere.

“I gave away riding about 25 years ago and we moved to Townsville
about five years later. It was time to go.
“Michelle (wife) had the licence out there and we always had three or
four in work. One day the stewards came and saw me and said you
know you should take a licence out.”
His son Matthew’s success as a trainer fills him with pride, and even
though he pretty much runs how own race he occasionally seeks advice
from dad.
“I’ve got my own set up here and Matthew has horses in stables either
side of me,” he said.
“He’s always poking through and we have conversations about them. He
does his own thing with his horses and every now and then he’ll just ask
you a question.
“He’s doing a great job.”