Little sleep for horse trainer
MAKING do with slightly more than five hours sleep a night is what is required for Warwick trainer John McMahon to follow a sporting dream.
He admits training and caring for horses is his second job and a hobby and he couldn't do it without the help of wife Kylie and children Mitchell and Samantha.
Six mornings a week, he is out of bed at 2.15am to start feeding at home before heading to the Allman Park Racecourse to train between five and seven horses. Cameron Byrne and Matt Hardy ride his track work.
As well as training horses for the track, he also does a lot of pre-training for Lyndhurst Stud. Son Mitchell has just secured a strappers licence at age 15.
McMahon works during the day for Rose City Tyres, an industry where he has worked for 25 years.
"I have been training horses for 18 years," he said.
The best horse he has trained is a mare Sparkle Express which has just had a foal to Lyndhurst sire Hidden Dragon. She is also the mother of a two-year-old filly.
One of his best at present is Spiffing, a gelding which needs a bit of luck after 10 seconds and only one first.
"He has been beaten heads and noses and has a second at Doomben," McMahon said.
His best distance is 1100-1200m and he is nominated for the 1100m B class on Saturday.
If McMahon wins tomorrow on Warwick Credit Union Warwick Cup day, he might just sleep in the next day.
Sunday is his day off ... and a 6am rise.
