It was a case of passion winning out over a career as a physiotherapist for trainer Ben Ahrens who landed his first Saturday metropolitan winner with Spechenka at Doomben.Ahrens has been training for six years but until Spechenka won Saturday's Men of League Foundation Plate, his previous best result was at a city midweek meeting.Ahrens spent five years studying to become a physiotherapist and secured a position at Logan hospital, south of Brisbane.However, training horses had always been his am

It was a case of passion winning out over a career as a physiotherapist for trainer Ben Ahrens who landed his first Saturday metropolitan winner with Spechenka at Doomben.

Ahrens has been training for six years but until Spechenka won Saturday's Men of League Foundation Plate, his previous best result was at a city midweek meeting.

Ahrens spent five years studying to become a physiotherapist and secured a position at Logan hospital, south of Brisbane.

However, training horses had always been his ambition so it came as no great surprise to see him finish up at the hospital several years ago.

"It's difficult getting up in the cold every morning," Ahrens said.

"But I had to weigh up a good job over my passion to train."

The 31-year-old has a team of 12 in work at Epsom Lodge at Beaudesert south of Brisbane and Spechenka is his stable star with seven wins from 20 starts.

Ahrens was raised at Cedar Creek, midway between Beenleigh and Beaudesert, on his family's 15 hectare farm.

It wasn't until his teenage years that Ahrens' interest in thoroughbreds began.

He initially pursued a career in rugby league but the heavy training schedule, repeated injuries and the discovery of his local TAB, helped with his decision to hang up the boots at age 19.

Ahrens soon realised that he had a limited career in punting and decided a formal qualification was the only way of making a decent living while still being involved in competitive sports.

While Ahrens studied Exercise Science on the Gold Coast, his father Royce and brother Matt were purchasing a few horses that were to be trained by the likes of Norm Stephens and Sue Birney.

After some early success the family's interests in the racing industry began to expand and before long, mares became broodmares and the foundations of Epsom Lodge was laid.

After obtaining his degree, limited job opportunities led Ahrens to contemplate further study to acquire his Master of Physiotherapy.

Although enjoying stints with the British Olympic team and working at the hospital, the urge became too much and within a few years Ahrens applied for his trainer's license.

His family's purchase of Epsom Lodge gave Ahrens the opportunity to work with a large number of horses for some of the country's leading trainers.

As a spelling, breaking-in and pre-training complex, Epsom Lodge serviced the likes of Alan Bailey, Gai Waterhouse, Rob Heathcote, Bryan Guy, Helen Page and Kelly Doughty.

The Spechenka story also had an unusual beginning when Ahrens' strapper Debbie Argue bred the son of Danachenka.

"Debbie straps this horse and got the mother (Special Class) as a give-away and bred from her," Ahrens said.