North Queensland journeyman Darryl Hansen will travel virtually anywhere to win a race and come Saturday he will go in search of his biggest career victory in the $200,000 Bernborough Handicap (1630m).In the past five days, the astute Hansen has saddled runners at his home base Mackay on Tuesday and Townsville on Wednesday but it's the Listed Bernborough at Doomben and his vastly under-rated galloper Onalar driving him on."It would be the best buzz to win it. I'd love to win the race - it would
North Queensland journeyman Darryl Hansen will travel virtually anywhere to win a race and come Saturday he will go in search of his biggest career victory in the $200,000 Bernborough Handicap (1630m).
In the past five days, the astute Hansen has saddled runners at his home base Mackay on Tuesday and Townsville on Wednesday but it's the Listed Bernborough at Doomben and his vastly under-rated galloper Onalar driving him on.
"It would be the best buzz to win it. I'd love to win the race - it would be easily the best thrill of my career," Hansen said.
"Onalar's been racing without luck but he is in excellent shape and I'm very pleased with him."
Hansen clocked up hundreds of thousands of kilometres last season travelling his horses across Queensland and his reward was more than 50 winners for the season with the highlight being Onalar's win in the Rockhampton Newmarket (1300m).
The 38-year-old, who started his training career 17 years ago, is widely regarded as the best trainer in northern Queensland but despite the all the success in recent years, Hansen is a self-confessed nervous wreck on race day.
"I'm always nervous, regardless if it's Townsville, Mackay or anywhere," Hansen said.
Onalar is rated a $16 chance with TAB Sportsbet behind the favourite Strat's Flyer ($3.60) and Pepperwood ($4.80), the only two horses to have beaten him, albeit narrowly, in his past three runs.
Three runs ago Onalar was considered a good thing beaten when he finished a long neck second to Pepperwood after he got out late and steamed home over 1400 metres at Eagle Farm.
The Latarmiss gelding promptly made amends with a decisive victory at Doomben over 1350 metres before his last start fourth behind Strat's Flyer at Eagle Farm when he was tightened for room in the straight and flew home to finish a length behind the winner.
Hansen said he was hoping for better luck at the barrier draw and confirmed Onalar would be again forced to go back off gate 12.
"His natural racing pattern is to get back but in the past over the mile he can be three or four lengths closer than he is in the shorter races," Hansen said.
"I'd like to have drawn in closer but unfortunately the bad barrier means we will probably have to snag him back again and hope for luck in the straight."