All in day’s work for accountant and trainer
Nolan happy spending his time busily
RACING: The thought of running two businesses successfully is something few would contemplate, let alone achieve.
But for Paul Nolan it’s all in a day’s work.
While Nolan runs his own accountancy business he’s better known to Queensland racegoers as a member of the successful Nolan Darling Downs thoroughbred family.
Working with numbers and figures is Nolan’s primary nineto-five earn but with that same eye for horse detail, family background and passion for horse racing it’s little wonder he shines in both fields.
Nolan is enjoying current success with his emerging $20,000 three-year-old Spending My Time.
The Jet Spur colt is providing him with the latest high on a horse journey he began as a Warwick youngster.
“I began training in 2006 but I started with horses in 1985,” Nolan recounted this week.
“That’s when our family began working with them.
“We moved to Toowoomba in 1988 so I did a long apprenticeship before I ever took out a trainer’s licence, working for Michael (brother) first and then dad (Paul Nolan Snr).”
The small team of Nolan’s father included smart performers such as Paul’s Folly, Rodway Sea and Fantastic Blue.
“I pretty much learnt everything I know off dad, and have just tweaked it along the way,” Nolan said.
“If you’re not always learning in this game, you might as well find something else to do.
“Accounting is my main job and where I earn the money.
“But I’d like to think the horses are also a pretty serious business, even though we only ever have eight-to-10 in work.
“My foreman Caitlyn Cameron does a great job and a lot of the background work like I did for dad years ago.
“Without her I wouldn’t be able to operate.
“I’m very hands on with a small team which we have the manpower to manage.
“That’s where I come from dad’s thing. He only ever had four horses in work and they all got the best of treatment.
“My daughter Charlotte is a big help around the stable while our track riders, vet Glen Laws and farrier Andy Fraser, who used to work for dad, all contribute a lot to what we do.”
Spending My Time — named in honour of Nolan’s late friend Scott “Pincher” Ellis — is now heading Nolan’s successful 2018 stable run.
“Pincher was one of my best friends,” Nolan said.
“He died last October and it was so upsetting for his family.
“So I said as a small thing for me to remember Pincher by, I’m going to name my next horse in honour of him.
“We both loved Roxette songs and I finished up naming this bloke Spending My Time hoping the horse might win a race or two to honour Pincher and it’s turned out that way.
“I like to think Pincher would be smiling down watching this horse run well.
“We had a down period a few years back when we lost a lot of handy horses to injury but I knew we’d get back to this stage again one day. I just didn’t know how long it would take.
“But you just have to stick with your processes and what works well for you.
“Keep getting up every morning and keep working them correctly. It’s no use whinging to anyone. It’s just head down and bum up.
“That’s what racing’s about. It is a hard game but I love it.
“Ultimately we’re in it because we love the horses.”