Fresh from having success on Day 1 of the Alice Springs Cup Carnival, Strathalbyn trainer Kym Healy won’t be at Pioneer Park on Saturday.
He drove back to Strathalbyn on Thursday to catch up with family before heading to Adelaide where he plans to bring a few horses back to Alice Springs in a week’s time.
A 1586km trip back home followed by a 55km sprint to Adelaide from Strathalbyn before a 1534km excursion back to the Red Centre.
A constant supporter of the Red Centre extravaganza, Healy has also featured at the Darwin Cup Carnival over the years.
A former winner of the Alice Springs and Darwin Cups with Pretty Blonde, the South Australian is also content to take horses to outback NSW and Queensland locations such as Broken Hill and Birdsville.
His strike rate on dirt tracks is certainly above average, and that was the case during the nine-event card in Central Australia last Saturday.
Of his nine runners, Healy had a win with Taipan Tommy with Darwin jockey Sonja Wiseman on board.
Jade Hampson was the pilot on second-placed duo Real Valentia and Magnossiva, with the Top End apprentice also partnering third-placed pair Starlite Rebel and Scout’s Honour.
Healy has the knack of finding the right horses best suited for NT conditions, and you’d be brave to suggest he won’t have further success during the remaining four days of the Alice Carnival.
On Saturday, I’m A Legend (Wiseman) will line up in the $30,000 The Soldier Lightning (1000m) and Wicked Addiction (Wayne Davis) will start in the $26,300 Ladbrokes Racing Club Handicap (1900m).
“Geez, it’s a cracking Lightning field, there’s a hell of a lot of speed in the race,” Healy said.
“Look, they’re going to go like the clappers, so hopefully he can camp just off them.
“Just hope there is a lot of speed and then get over the top late.”
Healy’s other representatives on the seven-event program include Taipan Tommy (Davis), Real Valentia (Hampson), Paulo Pace (Hampson) and Stradari (Davis).
I’m A Legend, victorious over 1100m (BM60) last September and third over 1050m (BM60) last October at Morphettville, didn’t make his Alice debut last weekend after the eight-year-old gelding reared and flipped over at the gates and was subsequently scratched after injuring his near fore leg.
“It wasn’t a bad day, I thought most of the horses went quite well,” Healy said.
“Bit disappointing about I’m A Legend getting scratched.
“He half put on a bit of a turn in the mounting yard after Jade jumped on and then we got him on the track and got him around to the barriers and she jumped off.
“He reared again and ended up flipping over and cut himself – had a bit of blood, so obviously they’ve got to scratch them then.
“I haven’t had the horse long.
“I’ve had him for about three weeks or so.
“He’s obviously got a few tricks up his sleeve that we’ve sort of got to iron out.
“I rang the previous trainer and she said he can be a bit like that first up, so hopefully he’s got the bee out of his bonnet and onwards and upwards.
“He trialled on Tuesday against Will Savage’s Savatoxl and Gary Clarke’s Amish Boy, and I was really happy with his effort.”
During his absence, Healy has summoned Millie Wallace to the NT.
“Millie, who rides track work for me and looks after the horses down home when I’m away, will be looking after the horses in Alice,” Healy said.
“She flew up on Wednesday, so she’s there for a week.
“Millie has ridden for me – she also looked after my horses and Phil Cole’s horses probably 10 years ago in Alice.
“She has been looking after the ones at home while I’ve been away on this occasion.”
Hence, Healy will be glued to the TV on Saturday hoping that his good fortune in Alice continues.
“Real Valentia has got to be a chance, she ran second the other day, she got back a little bit,” he said.
“Wicked Addiction didn’t have a lot of luck the other day.
“He copped a bit of a check and that put him off a bit.
“Taipan Tommy, he’s thrived since last week, so I’m hoping he can continue on again.”
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