09-08-2025
Hobby trainer John Dann savours last-to-first Townsville Cup triumph
Toowoomba hobby trainer John Dann produced a Queensland winter carnival wonder and ventured further north to be the king of Townsville on Saturday.
Dann's gelding Quothquan stormed home from last to produce a monster win in the $150,000 Townsville Cup, scoring revenge after having a luckless run in the Mackay Cup a fortnight earlier.
Quothquan had been trapped wide in the Mackay Cup and Dann feared the six-year-old might have his work cut out again in the Townsville Cup from a double-digit barrier.
Former Kiwi hoop Dylan Turner had Quothquan back last, but some of his rivals were speeding along up front and it gave him his chance to swoop over the top of them.
Dann only has a handful of horses and he juggles that with operating a successful truck repair and services company which has 100 employees.
He has enjoyed a year to remember with his horses, having fairytale mare Adiella score the $500,000 Magic Millions National Classic at Eagle Farm during the winter carnival.
Adiella then had a major setback and is now recovering from a nasty staph infection and she will not be seen again at the races until next year.
But Quothquan's dominant two-length Townsville Cup romp put a wide smile on Dann's face.
'It wasn't our plan to be that far back,' Dann said.
'But they were cracking along up front and going fast and when he was that far off them, it probably suited him.
'Dylan let him slide and he was doing it under his own steam and he won easily.
'I got Dylan to ride because he has the same manager as Cobi Vitler who I use a bit.
'He rode the horse really well and it was a terrific result for us.'
It's Quothquan right down the outside in the 2025 Townsville Cup! � @RaceQLD
â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 9, 2025
Quothquan started $6.50 and zoomed home over Sir Grace ($8.50) and Smart Legend ($6.50) as $5 favourite Beau Rain finished a disappointing 13th in the 2000m Cup.
In the Magic Millions Townsville Guineas QTIS 4YO Handicap (1609m), Smart Mission was strongly backed to be $3.40 favourite but threw it all away at the start when he tried to buck jump.
Jockey Lacey Morrison was lucky to stay in the saddle and somehow managed to settle the gelding back in the field but was left with far too much work to do to be a factor in the final stages.
Meanwhile, Mackay galloper Obligated ($9.50) unleashed a powerful run in the straight and won easily under jockey Ash Butler.
Lyle Wright-trained Obligated had made his name winning over nippy sprint trips, but found the mile of the Guineas was no issue.
In the sprint feature, the $100,000 Cleveland Bay, Speed Legend left it until the final strides to get home over the top of Cherry Rose as two of the favoured runners fought out the finish.
