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Toot shoots for first winner as a trainer

Winners have been plentiful during his riding career, now David Tootell Sr is searching for his first success as a trainer.

Tootell had his first runner on August 26, but his best result from five runners to date is a fifth at Bordertown with Cool Desert.

“You think you know a bit more than you really do,” Tootell says of the training game.

“But we’ve got three average horses, so it’ll be a battle until we have our first winner, then we’ll be happy.”

Tootell celebrated his 59th birthday on Balaklava Cup day, when he had three rides for a best finish of fourth.

During his distinguished career, which began in 1977, Tootell has amassed well over 1000 career winners – including over 100 at black-type level – and nearly $9 million in prizemoney.

Tootell had planned to retire after riding his first winner of 2020, but after steering home Triple Deez on January 4 – his first side of the year – that idea was shelved.

“I always had plans to give up riding after my first winner this year… but obviously I kept going,” he said.

“I thought about giving up after I rode that winner for my son (Pontypaul at Gawler in June), but I’ll know when it’s time.

“One day I’ll go home from the races and say to my wife, ‘That’s it’.”

In the meantime, Tootell’s body and competitive spirit are more than adequate to extend his remarkably durable career.

“I’ve been lucky, because the body’s always been fine,” he said.

“And I still get excited when I go to the races and I’ve got competitive rides.

“You go to the races a lot and you enjoy the rides you get.

“A lot of them are non-competitive – you’re just going around to make up the numbers.

“But you do your best and sometimes they get up.”

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