Godden's northern campaign hits new heights

Victorian horseman Colin Godden is putting the finishing touches on a sparkling northern winter campaign and is optimistic he can snag a few more harness racing winners before heading home next month.

The 65-year-old has been a regular visitor to the Sunshine State in recent years with the 2026 season being his best stint so far.

He has 22 Queensland victories to his name since the middle of May, which included his first-ever treble at Redcliffe earlier this month.

Usually based at Nanneella in regional Victoria, Godden and his wife Michelle call Deception Bay home for a few months every year to spend time with their children and grandchildren.

They travelled north with seven horses earlier this year and the entire stable has been thrilled with the results so far.

“We’ve probably had a couple more horses that were a little bit better than usual this year,” Godden said.

“Major Orion would have been probably still winning up here, but I’ve sent him back home for a few races down there.

“We’ve bought some that were probably a bit better than other years, but they’ve been really good.

“Yes, we have probably gone a bit better than expected, so that’s better again.

“We plan on doing three to four months up here every year in the winter and we have been for the last sort of four years or so.

“They’ve been good. I’ve been above average most years anyway, so. This year’s just been a bit better again.”

The Godden camp tallied 16 winners in its maiden Queensland campaign, with much of their success coming at Brisbane’s racing headquarters at Albion Park.

This time around, they have been a dominant force at Redcliffe.

Mahindi added another victory to the list on Wednesday night at ‘The Triangle’ as the mare won her sixth race of 2026.

Stablemates Francs For Coming, John Wayne and Little Whippet all won at the venue on Wednesday of last week to record the Godden team’s maiden treble.

Francs For Coming and John Wayne head across town on Saturday night for a tilt at Albion Park in the Qualifying Pace (B Div) over 1660 metres.

Gelding Francs For Coming has won three of his last five and Godden says the four-year-old is his current stable star.

“Francs For Coming, he had six months off when we went home last year and he’s been a bit of a troublesome fella,” the trainer said.

“But, he’s actually just clicked at the minute and he’s actually going real good.

“He’s probably the best of my team by a fair way at the minute. 

“He was a little bit behind when we first came up, he didn’t race for the first month, because he had a little bit of a setback before we left home.

“But, he’s been the surprise packet of them all. Going on the way he’s going at the minute; he’ll win in town at some stage.

“I’d say pretty comfortably, it probably mightn’t be before we go home, but it’ll be something to look forward to, to bring him back for next season.

“I think he’ll be very competitive in the race on Saturday night.”

Premier Queensland reinsman Nathan Dawson takes the drive aboard Francs For Coming on Saturday evening with Angus Garrard to partner stablemate John Wayne.

Godden milked cows for a living for much of his life and is now enjoying his semi-retirement in the Sunshine State every winter.

The stable brought up 16 winners in its maiden northern campaign a few years ago with a team of four, while they headed north with seven this time around.

“I’ve been a hobbyist all my life and I’ve been lucky to work any more than two until the last probably six or seven years we’ve worked a few extras,” he said.

“We probably got up to sixes and sevens, but I am still a hobbyist really.

“We just race our own and get a bit of enjoyment out of it.

“The whole families in them all, the girls that are up here, they own Francs For Coming, and my son’s in nearly all the other ones with us at home.

“They enjoy helping, it’s a family affair really.

“We’ve stopped milking cows and just got a bit of crop, so we can come and go a bit more as we please.

“It keeps me alive and keeps me going and if you can win a few races along the way, it makes it a lot happier and easier to get up and work them every day.”

For the 2026 season, the Godden stable has 23 winners to its name – across Australia – which is a career-best mark with three months left to go in the campaign.

The Godden family is already planning their 2027 Queensland mission with a few two-year-olds and yearlings waiting for them when they arrive back in Victoria in the middle of next month.

By Jordan Gerrans for Racing Queensland