Jan. 22, 2013, 11 p.m.
TRAINER Norm Hilton and his star galloper Carry Me Bluey could make an instant impact from their new base at Broadmeadow.
Hilton, 57, made the long trip from Toowoomba in Queensland to officially open a new stable at Newcastle on Monday.
Carry Me Bluey was one of 12 horses Hilton brought overnight from Toowoomba.
Hilton said Carry Me Bluey had made the trip in fine style and had settled in well at his new digs at the Broadmeadow racecourse precinct.
Hilton will have Carry Me Bluey on the road again, this time to Warwick Farm on Saturday.
The five-year-old, which has already won nine races and been placed another 11 times in 31 starts, will run in the $100,000 Australia Day Cup over 2400 metres.
Hilton will then have two runners at the Newcastle meeting on Sunday.
"Hopefully we will get off to a flying start," Hilton said.
"This will be Carry Me Bluey's first start over a mile and a half [2400m], but he gives every indication he will love it.
"He is a very relaxed horse, he settles in the run and can really find the line."
Carry Me Bluey showed those traits last start when he powered home to win at Eagle Farm over 2100m on January 5 against seven rivals.
"Carry Me Bluey deserves his chance against the better stayers in Sydney," Hilton said.
"If he wins on Saturday, I would look at giving him a break.
"His owners are still in Queensland so he might go back for the winter carnival up there."
Hilton has been thinking of making the move south for a while.
"Last year I spent a fair amount of time in Sydney with Bold Glance.
"We were stabled at Warwick Farm, which had great facilities.
"But it wasn't what I was looking for as the right place to make my home.
"I knew Newcastle was a progressive club that was getting a big cash injection for two new tracks.
"I checked out Broadmeadow and after mulling it over for a while I decided this was the place for me.
"I have 16 boxes here and already I have 12 settled in.
"I told friends that I will be back in Queensland one day. But that will be about 20 years from now, and I hope to have one or two horses on the Gold Coast.
"Right now my future and that of my horses is here in Newcastle.
"I have the boxes on course and have bought a property at Black Hill where the horses can go for a break during their racing preparations."
Hilton has gone from knocking about Australia with rodeos, riding bulls and bucking broncos, to becoming a thoroughbred trainer.
"I had a great time on the rodeo circuit," Hilton said.
But old Father Time had a way of tapping Hilton on the shoulder.
"One day I looked at the other competitors and realised they were young enough to be my sons. I knew then it was time then to get out.
"I have been around horses all my life and it didn't take long to realise that the thoroughbreds were where there was a chance to get a quid.
"I have spent 20 years now training horses.
"Toowoomba was a good place to train, but NSW is where racing is going ahead in leaps and bounds."
No comments:
Post a Comment