Cranbourne-based Cindy Alderson is a third-generation racehorse trainer who has been associated with a host of Group 1 winners trained by her father, Colin – including Sky Heights, Inaflury, La Volta and Pindi.
Cindy, who first got on a horse’s back as a three-year-old, obtained her training licence in 1990. She was among the first women in Australia to be granted a permit to train and achieved metropolitan success with the first horse she trained – Old Magician.
Under the ‘Alderson Racing’ banner, Colin (who retired in 2016) and Cindy achieved several firsts. In September 2006, they were among the first Australian trainers to form a racehorse training partnership. Since then, they have achieved the first Australian winner, the first hurdle winner and the first Australian group winner trained by a partnership.
But, more recently, Cindy has gone ‘riding on the greyhounds’ as an owner.
She owns the Kelvyn Greenough-trained You Tell Me who is one of the sport’s most promising sprinters.
“Greyhound racing is very, very much dependant upon luck,” Cindy said in an interview on RSN 927’s ‘Racing Pulse’.
“But one thing I’ll say about You Tell Me is she’s a really consistent little dog. She’s great out of the boxes normally… I’m really enjoying her; she’s been a revelation and she’s paying us for a few shopping expeditions.”
You Tell Me is Cindy’s first greyhound, but she added: “I do have a family pedigree in greyhound racing, my grandfather was a greyhound trainer on my mother’s side.”
WATCH: You Tell Me (1) defeats Black Opium (6) at Sandown on April 24.
“They’re lovely dogs actually… It’s great to see so many of them being re-homed as pets as they are a lovely animal to have around you.”
You Tell Me was raised on Cindy’s farm at Cranbourne.
“I think there were four in the litter we kept… We had a lot of fun with them and it was hard to part with them when they had to go to a professional trainer. But, like you said, Kel is a professional and while there are some similarities (with horse training) there are a lot of differences. And I think I’m probably too old to learn a new trade.”
At Sandown tonight (Race 8, 8.34pm), rising star You Tell Me (Box 2) renews acquaintances with sprint diva Black Opium (Box 8) in a Free For All (515m).
It promises to be a thrilling encounter as both are Sandown track specialists.
You Tell Me, who defeated Black Opium twice in April, has notched eight wins from 15 starts at Sandown. She has won seven of her past 11 starts.
Black Opium, who recently won the G1 Sapphire Crown at Sandown, has registered nine wins from 14 starts on that circuit. She has won seven of her past 12 starts.
And both have similar personal bests at Sandown – Black Opium (29.20sec) and You Tell Me (29.28sec).
tab.com.au has Black Opium at $1.65F and You Tell Me at $4.60 on its fixed odds market.
