Horse Details
Status
RetiredPrizemoney $127,850.00 – 45 starts 6-9-7
Sire: Smart Missile
Dam: Exotic Escape
Brown or Black
Gelding
22 August 2017
Focus is a 5yo black Gelding from Smart Missile that is very sound and lightly raced. He will be trained at Townsville by leading Trainer Alby Molino.
Having all its runs at the Gold Coast, which is extremely strong, its expected Alby will take little time saluting the judge with a simple class drop.
It is sired by the stallion SMART MISSILE out of the dam EXOTIC ESCAPE. He is a dual cross with champion sire DANEHILL and has an impecable breeding page.
Trainer Details
ALBY MOLINO
Alby did not get involved in racing of horses until 1977 when he was 19 years old, were he was working with a young jockey at the local hardware store. Alby with his small stature had a joke with his work colleague about maybe he could give riding a go. He jumped on his first horse and it went on from there – he started his apprenticeship in the Burdekin before moving to Sydney for more riding experience with trainer, Ray Guy. Alby’s master needed him back in the Burdekin after several months so he moved back and continued his riding.
Alby rode around North Queensland, being based in the small town of Ayr, before relocating his family to Townsville in 2002. Alby retired from race riding in 2005 and decided to get “one horse” to train and have some fun. One horse turned to three, three turned to five, and the next thing he had twelve horses in his stables.
AlBY’s Achievements
Alby has had remarkable success in his training career, with his horses performing well, as he totally understands and is able to get a guide of what they are wanting within a few starts.
Alby has had a horse ‘Best Hoffa’ for two preparations, and within this year this gelding has had 15 starts, and 13 of those starts he has picked up a cheque. ‘Best Hoffa’ this year alone has had 3 wins, 6 seconds, 2 thirds and 2 fourths. He has picked up $107,650 since February this year, and one of his wins was the Mackay Cup winning by an impressive 4.3 lengths.
‘Valuate’ is another horse Alby trained for 8 starts where 6 starts she was in the top 3. With her 8 starts she picked up a total of $135,000, having 3 wins, 2 seconds and 1 third. Alby also trained a gelding by Real Saga, ‘I Wanna Break Free’, for 4 starts where he got 3 wins and 1 second.
The stables are situated in his own backyard, which gives him more time to give each horse that much loved one on one time, with not just Alby but his family. Molino Racing is a family affair with his wife Julie, helping most days in the stables and handling the book-keeping. His daughter has recently moved back to Townsville with her 2 small children and helps Alby in the stables along with a family friend/stablehand Vicki.
Alby has always been willing to travel to race meetings to get the best out of his horses, where he has picked up a few country cups, the Mackay Cup and also got second in 2018 premiership at Townsville Turf Club with only 8 horses in work at that time.
