MENTION the name Brandenburg anywhere around North Queensland – especially on the rodeo circuit– and stories of admiration and praise will flow.

Mention the name at the races, and the conversation ramps up a notch.

Former gun jockey Troy Brandenburg was back at one of his old stomping grounds on Sunday, this time as an owner – and he quickly found the winners’ circle when impressive gelding Bole Le made a cakewalk of the $50,000 McGregor Gourlay and North West Events Super Maiden (1400m).

Bole Le, named after a Chinese term meaning ‘judge of excellent talent’, was backed from $5 into $3.80 second favourite before leading throughout under the skilful hands of apprentice Jett Newman to win by more than three lengths from Wayne Brown’s Sethnique ($4.20).

Brett Cavanough’s $3.40 favourite Speed of Gold was a length away third.

The win was a long time coming for Brandenburg, who has persevered with Bole Le, a four-year-old trained at Toowoomba by Paul Wallace.

Bad luck and immaturity have been huge obstacles, said Brandenburg, who shares ownership in Bole Le with Townsville race-caller Tony Wode.

“When I first got him, I thought he was as good as any horse I’d ridden,” Brandenburg said.

“He had issues early when he kicked the stalls and capped a hock. I got him back and had to refigure a few things out.

“When we got him ready to go to the races he hurt the other hock – there’s been a couple of operations,” he said.

When legends meet: Former gun jockeys Troy Brandenburg (left) and Leon Fox, with Inverell legend, Brian Baldwin. Brandenburg’s smart gelding Bole Le won the 1400m super maiden impressively.

“I took him to Ipswich for his first start and got 80-1, and at the furlong he went up the inside to win the race and was nearly put over the fence.

“He won a trial recently in Brisbane pretty smartly and when we put him on the truck afterwards, he went crazy and went over the partitions.

“He’s very immature, and Paul has done a lot of work to get him to this stage. It’s not been easy.

“The horse is a work in progress, and I can’t thank Paul enough,” Brandenburg said.

Emerging apprentice Jett Newman, freely touted as the next big thing in country racing, was impressed by Bole Le’s powerful win.

“It’s last run at Ipswich was very disappointing when it got shortened up in the straight, but its trials since have been good,” Newman said.

“I thought he’d show something today, but he’s still a bit green and will keep improving, and there are definitely more wins in him.

“He went well, and I was very impressed,” she said.

It’s been more than 20 years since Brandenburg was legged up on race-day as a jockey.

“I had my last ride in 2002. It was at Armidale after I came back from Townsville, where I rode for Kelly Schweida in the Townsville Cup,” Brandenburg said.

“I should’ve won the race – got knocked down and finished second,” he smiled.

“I’ve always struggled with my weight and the world was changing. I needed to step away from riding.

“I started doing a little team-roping at rodeos with my brother, Darren. The whole family is involved in rodeos, and we grew up doing that in far-north Queensland – places like Hughenden and Townsville.

“While there, I started to learn about equine therapy, and realised that was what I was meant to do,” he said.

Emerging apprentice Jett Newman guides Bole Le to a soft win at Moree on Sunday.

Brandenburg went to the US for three months and by 2017 had worked in 10 countries applying equine therapy techniques.

He was away for seven years, before coming home and settling near Toowoomba, when the urge to get into owning, racing and syndicating horses took hold.

“I was sitting at a Magic Millions sale with Wayne Oakenfull and we bought a Spirit of Boom horse – the last horse at the sale,” Brandenburg said.

“I decided I wanted to buy horses and race them, and lease some and sell some. So I bought a bunch of horses and started the education process, breaking them in to the stage where we’d send them on to trainers.”

About 10 days before Bole Le’s impressive win at Moree on Sunday, Brandenburg and Wode won with Power of Success at Toowoomba.

“I went a couple of years with no luck as an owner and then ‘bang’, we got two winners in a week,” Brandenburg laughed.

“I love the horses, and I’ve got some nice horses that we’ll race – they mean a lot to me.

“And I enjoy coming back to tracks like Moree. I’m forever grateful people still remember me,” he said.

Words and Images: Bill Poulos