While even considering Wheeler retiring seems laughable, consider the fact the two greatest equine heroes he trained, Poetic Prince and Rough Habit, raced in the mid-1980s and early 1990s respectively.<\/p>\n
Wheeler was training champions 40 years ago and he wasn\u2019t a kid then so yes, the numbers add up even if the energy levels suggest Wheeler could be pulling our leg about his age.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, I\u2019m 75 next week and I am loving life,\u201d he tells the Herald.<\/p>\n
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI only have 11 horses in work and I have shares in most of them as do some of the family.<\/p>\n \u201cI have one owner in Aussie I feel like I have had for 100 years and he won\u2019t let me stop training for him until I die so I keep going around,\u201d he laughs. <\/p>\n As legendary as he has been in New Zealand, Wheeler\u2019s record overseas, particularly in Australia, is remarkable.<\/p>\n \u201cI have trained nearly 300 winners in Australia and 19 Group 1s which I am quite proud of,\u201d says the man who also trained St Steven to win Japan\u2019s biggest jumping race in 2002.<\/p>\n Wheels says there is an art to traveling horses, one he has watched plenty of rivals and even mates, get wrong.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no point having your Grand Final here then going to Aussie looking for another Grand Final, that doesn\u2019t work very often. <\/p>\n \u201cI prefer to have them on the way up but fit, rather than coming to the end of a campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n He will try to show off skills again with Herbert, who he part-owns with good mate and former Taranaki Racing boss Carey Hobbs, next season.<\/p>\n \u201cI have had a few people ask me why we aren\u2019t taking him this year but he has done enough after this weekend,\u201d says Wheeler.<\/p>\n \u201cHe won the big innovation race [$350,000] and went super behind Waitak last start and I think he has a great each way chance on Saturday.<\/p>\n