Life was Full Speed Ahead for George and Buckskin

Almost 30 years ago Townsville trainer George Coleman went within a stride of pulling off one of the most daring wins in a major race at Cluden Park.

The horse was a flying machine called Buckskin, and the race was the 1997 running of the north’s biggest sprint, the Cleveland Bay Hcp.

Buckskin, with his tearaway style, was a fireball sprinter who knew only one speed and that was flat out.

The ex-Sydneysider had broken the 1000m Cluden track record in a series of sprint wins, but there were major doubts about him running any further.

Coleman was convinced he could do it and plotted a cunning plan to tackle the 1200m Cleveland Bay, a race he dearly wanted to win.

At his first start at the distance, Buckskin - with his regular rider the late Donna Philpot (then Lewis) in the saddle - lit up the race course with an electrifying front running win.

He won by eight lengths and ran a sizzling 1:08.38 and it was all systems go for the Cleveland Bay bid.

But then Coleman took a gamble. He was worried about the handicapper.

He decided not to start Buckskin again for two months leading into the Cleveland Bay to avoid earning more weight.

It was a bold call.

Jumping from barrier 14 in the big race, Buckskin set a cracking tempo and led into the straight with a commanding lead.

But in the last 100m his lungs and legs began to give out. The last 50m he was running on memory.

Brisbane sprinter Let’s Cheer and jockey Graham Watson stormed out of the pack in a desperate late drive snatched away victory in the very last stride, denying Coleman a training triumph by the barest of margins.

Memories of that great finish will be revived for many old Cluden regulars on Tuesday when the Townsville Turf Club honours the late trainer with the running of the Vale George Coleman Hcp (1300m).

Coleman, accomplished trainer, paint shop proprietor and local cricket administrator, passed away peacefully last week at age 82 with wife Del and sons Ian and Mark by his side.

The Coleman brothers recalled this week how racing was always a part of their lives and George’s lifelong passion.

The son of Charters Towers grazier and prominent owner Paddy Coleman, George moved to Townsville in 1974 and built a family home and stables at Minehan Street, Cluden.

They would later move to their current home in Dommett Street, overlooking the Cluden track where it was racing continued to be an all of family affair.

“His first three yearlings were Ohio Park, Kobe Park, which grandad owned and went on to win a Townsville Cup trained by the McLachlans in the Towers, and Bali Star. All went through to open company as did Acrad which George Yardley bred,” Mark said.

“He and George became great mates and raced plenty of good horses together. 

“Over the years he had a lot of smart ones, but there were slow ones too don’t worry. He just didn’t keep the ordinary ones for long. He’d give them away.”

The Coleman-Yardley combination was a highly successful partnership that produced a string of topline horses.

They had their biggest wins with the progeny of Yardley’s home stallion Just Darcay who won his only two starts at Cluden for Coleman before breaking down. 

The best of them was Prince Hervey, who he educated and raced with Yardley and the late Dave Martin in the 1980s.

He won the feature two-year-old race in Townsville at only his second start before being sent to Sydney where he won a number of races.

Prince Hervey, out of the quality mare Bellona, was then transferred to a little-known trainer at the time at Deagon, John Size, where he won a G3 Katies Cup, ran a narrow third in the Doomben 10,000 and was second in the Stradbroke Hcp to Daybreak Lover in a photo.

Tragically Prince Hervey died of a colic attack without ever racing again.

“Everyone thought dad was mad sending the horse to John Size who was just kicking off. Have a look at him now – one of the best,” Ian said.

“After the Brisbane carnival he came out of the paddock to get ready for the Spring carnival in Melbourne before a gut bug killed him.

“But dad also trained Will Carry On for George (Yardley). He was by Just Darcay as well and he was a brilliant horse.

“Dad and George sent him to Brisbane and he won his first two starts down there with John Size beating the best 3yos at the time. But he went in the wind at his next prep and that was it.”

Mark said while better horses went through the family’s stable, Buckskin was one of his father’s favourites.

“In NSW he was the galloping horse for their top graders. He had a reputation for throwing riders and bolting,” Mark said.

“When he first came here he was flat out getting 1000m. Dad and Donna, who did a lot of work on him, gradually got him to run a strong five furlongs.

“After he won his first go at 1200m dad said ‘do I start him again and get more weight or take the punt on the eight weeks into the Cleveland Bay. He decided to go the two months without a start. If it had been four weeks he probably gets them.

“The heart was in the mouth especially in last 50m.

“He will always be one of our favourites.”

Ian said his father lived life to the full as a result of a child hood illness.

“He trained horses, ran the Roly Stone Paint and Paper shop, was president and life member of the Brothers Cricket Club. He and mum never had a minute to spare,” Ian said.

“Dad’s outlook on life goes back to when he contracted rheumatic fever when he was 12 in Charters Towers.

“A specialist in Brisbane basically said he wouldn’t live beyond 30 to 40 years.

“From then on in his life he went at 100 miles an hour and packed in as much as he could.

“He loved a beer, loved a smoke and went flat out. That was how he lived life.”

Former jockey Bonnie Thomson, who struck up a successful association with George on the last horse he trained Dalon, will start No Love Lost in Tuesday’s memorial race.

“I was very successful on Dalon for George. He was pretty loyal to me. I did all of his work for him back then,” Thomson said. 

“He was one of the old school trainers where you do the track work, you get the ride.

“I think No Love Lost will run well and it would be nice to win that race for George.”

George Coleman’s funeral service will be held at St Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, Stuart at 10am on Friday, February 6. Family and friends will gather later at the Cluden Park racecourse for a fitting send-off.