MITCH and Desiree Kearney’s trip to Mudgee on Saturday provided them with racing’s full gamut of emotions.
As Mitch Kearney so aptly commented, it was a bitter-sweet day!
The Hawkesbury husband and wife training team experienced the joy of their first winner in more than five months when Sizzling Tale broke through in the Maiden Handicap (1400m) at $10, but only after she had been cleared to race following a veterinary examination.
The despair arose later when their other Mudgee runner Moon Lightning was beaten in a photo-finish, only to subsequently have the Black Nugget Cup Benchmark 50 Handicap declared a no-race because it was held over the wrong distance.
Thus the $2100 second prizemoney went out the window.
The Kearneys’ previous winner was Lady Shenanigans in the Bill Aspros Cup Benchmark 66 Handicap (1100m) at Bathurst on Anzac Day.
The duo has since experienced a run of minor placings, including four seconds with Lady Shenanigans; one of them at Canterbury in late August.
“It’s been tough,” Desiree Kearney said on Sunday. “The horses have been racing well, but just not breaking through.”
The Kearneys purchased four-year-old mare Sizzling Tale from her previous Hawkesbury owner-trainer Mike Van Gestel after she had finished down the track in a Wellington Maiden (900m) in May.
“Mike was getting frustrated with her, and sold her to us for $1000,” Desiree Kearney said.
Team Kearney ran Sizzling Tale at Newcastle last Tuesday when she ran 10th to Hawkesbury rival Cosmeena (trained by Michael Vella) in a 1250m Maiden Plate.
“Winona Costin rode her, and afterwards told us that the mare likes to roll along and was unsuited by the way the race was run,” Desiree Kearney explained.
“She recommended backing Sizzling Tale up at Mudgee, but under racing rules the mare had to undergo a pre-race vet examination to be able to start as she was backing up within seven days.
“We nominated Sizzling Tale for Mudgee as a back-up plan as there was so much rain around a week ago.
“Apprentice Zoe Hunt (indentured to Clint Lundholm at Dubbo) rang for the ride when she saw her nominated, and we were pleased to put her on and she gave Sizzling Tale a great ride.
“Zoe used to come out to Hawkesbury to ride work for Fabio Martino, and often hopped on one of our horses as well.”
Whilst the Kearneys were naturally thrilled to get back into the winning list, understandably they were disappointed with how events turned out in regard to Moon Lightning.
“The race was run at 2000m instead of 1850m, and stewards declared it a no race,” Mitch Kearney said.
“They found out after the race had been run when the time for an 1850m race seemed unusually slow.
“Our horse was beaten a pimple, so we took him to Mudgee for no return at all.
“It’s hard to believe the mistake wasn’t picked up before the race was run.”
Whilst the Kearneys’ seven-times winner (including five in town) Heza Gentleman has been retired and is still being looked after by them, the duo is keeping busy with a dozen horses currently in work.
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Provincial trainers were to the fore at Sunday’s Cootamundra Cup fixture.
Kembla Grange pair Brett Lazzarini and Joe Ible had winners, and Wyong’s John Cooper also joined the party.
Lazzarini landed the Maiden Handicap (1100m) with $3.40 favorite Nakama (Robyn Freeman), and Ible took the Class 1 Handicap (1200m) with $8 chance Pretty Sassy, ridden by Jack Martin.
Cooper went back to his old stamping ground to win the Benchmark 66 Handicap (1100m) with former Newcastle gelding Just One Look ($16), ridden by Ellen Hennessy.
Story John Curtis, October 6, 2024
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