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Highly respected racing veteran Mike Van Gestel only has two horses in work and both have the prerequisite of heavy track form at appealing odds into Tuesday’s Nowra TAB meeting.

Restricted class gallopers No Statement ($5.50 on TAB) and Titan Star ($5.50) will be ridden in respective races by riding newcomer Benjamin Osborne who claims an important 3.5kg.

No Statement (Kathy O'Hara) in winning form at Nowra. Image by Bradley Photographers

The popular Shoalhaven track is a Heavy 10 at present but officials are confident of racing in improving weather.

Of course, the Belgian-born 78 year-old Hawkesbury-based trainer is the father of chief steward Marc Van Gestel who has taken up an appointment in Hong Kong.

“I’ve only got the two in work nowadays and that’s enough for me to manage but racing keeps me going, been so good to me and my family,” offered Mike with wife Louisa, four children and 11 grandchildren.

Mike came to Australia in the mid-1960s near broke with limited English and stayed in a migrant hostel.

But his passion was horses and animals working on a Belgian farm.

“I worked hard off a really tough upbringing our children have the same work ethic and the race game secured our future.

“We’re proud of Marc, we’ll miss him as we didn’t see much of him during COVID.

“He’s highly regarded, now he’ll experience a great part of the racing world but chief stewards don’t make many friends, do they?” Mike chuckled.

Both No Statement in the second event and Titan Star in the last are honest performers, race fit and proven in heavy ground.

“I think they’re in suitable races, consistent and racing as well as they can.

“I don’t know a lot about Ben only that he comes from up north but he rode Titan Star perfectly to win at Canberra on a heavy ten so happy to have him on again.”

While the strike rate of just three wins from 51 starts and 16 placings is a concern, a dominant win on a Heavy 10 and a placing has to be major positives.

No Statement won at Bathurst and then was placed in better grade at Goulburn.

Nowra at present is a Heavy 10 with the slight chance of a shower for a six-race program.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Nowra here