Symon Wilde is looking at expanding his Warrnambool training operation to Ballarat.
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Wilde, who had five winners at the Warrnambool May Carnival and has more than 50 horses in work in Warrnambool, said part of his future planning was looking at opening a stable in Ballarat for 10 to 20 horses.
The 36-year-old said he had already had an initial chat with Ballarat Turf Club officials and was now looking at renewing talks regarding securing on-course stables.
"I want to make it clear I'll always have stables in Warrnambool," Wilde said.
"I'm looking to the future and with so many race meetings in Melbourne and night races at Moonee Valley, Cranbourne and Pakenham I feel I've got to get stables in a central location and Ballarat fits the bill.
“The Western District has lost race meetings over the past few years and that will continue because Racing Victoria has invested so much money into places like Pakenham and Cranbourne for night racing.
“I've had a look at the training facilities at Ballarat and they are excellent,” he said.
“The travelling from Warrnambool to the night meetings, which offered excellent stakemoney for owners, takes a big toll on my staff and horses."
Wilde's passion for racing came at the end of his schooling when he left Australia in 1998 to work in England with Lord William Huntingdon and Nicky Henderson.
He returned home to work in South Australia for Lindsay Park under the guidance of Peter Hayes and Tony McEvoy for two years.
His next overseas venture was to America working with Laura De Seroux,
He took out a joint trainers licence with his dad Bill in 2008. The partnership claimed a position in the top 20 Victorian trainers for five consecutive years before Symon took over the training in his own right at the end of the 2013-14 season and Bill took over a foreman’s role.
Wilde, who trained 50 winners last season, has trained 41 winners this season with more than two months left.
If Wilde sets up in Ballarat, he will have a similar model to Darren Weir.
Weir has his premier stable in Ballarat, with another expansive base in Warrnambool to allow him to utilise the beach.
BALLARAT Turf Club has scheduled three jumps for Wednesday as he begins the countdown to a new two-day jumps carnival in August.
Racing Victoria has programmed the opening two rookie jumpers' series heats, 3200m - a maiden and a benchmark120 - and benchmark120 steeplechasw, 3200m.
They have attracted 30, 16 and 11 entries respectively.