Courage can overcome adversity, just ask Sunshine Coast trainer Michael Jacobs.The 46-year-old thought his world had just about ended after he was attacked at a service station in Roma in southwestern Queensland in March 2007.The assault left the dentist with a badly fractured eye socket and with permanent double vision.After four operations, Jacobs' dentistry career was over and his future seriously clouded.But he was fortunate while in Roma to have struck up a friendship with highly respected

Courage can overcome adversity, just ask Sunshine Coast trainer Michael Jacobs.

The 46-year-old thought his world had just about ended after he was attacked at a service station in Roma in southwestern Queensland in March 2007.

The assault left the dentist with a badly fractured eye socket and with permanent double vision.

After four operations, Jacobs' dentistry career was over and his future seriously clouded.

But he was fortunate while in Roma to have struck up a friendship with highly respected trainer Craig Smith and regularly attended country meetings with him after buying Brahman cattle as a sideline to his dental surgery.

The training bug soon took hold of Jacobs who later moved to Glenview in the Sunshine Coast hinterland where he now has a small property with six stables and trains his own horses.

"I was cleaned up by a couple of louts at the service station and all they got was a slap on the wrists," Jacobs said.

"They fractured my eye socket and I had to give dentistry away.

"I've had a few operations but I've still got permanent double vision."

The disability hasn't stopped Jacobs from training winners since taking out his licence two years ago.

Four-year-old entire Al Mazaya is proof of Jacobs' training ability after bringing up a hat-trick of wins at Doomben on Saturday.

The son of Dubai Destination showed as much fight as Jacobs by downing Mudgee sprinter Slick Sniper by a short neck in the Levy & Co Handicap (1615m).

"He's a lovely horse to train but the tempo of the race helped him a lot," Jacobs said.

"He looked under pressure from Slick Sniper but he really showed a lot of courage.

"I'll probably give him a break now and get him ready for the Magic Millions carnival."

Jacobs, who has six horses in work, is hoping a Magic Millions Cup victory at the Gold Coast in January will help cement his promising training career.