by Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk
It has its anxious moments but Sammy Kilgour’s enjoying a bullish start to her new job as a part-time bloodstock agent.
Her star export, Jimmy The Irishman, won his sixth race in a row on in the Great Ocean Road Real Estate Pace at Bendigo on Saturday night.
“When he races I do get nervous,” says Kilgour, “But he has exceeded all expectations.”
Jimmy The Irishman escaped a pocket and sprinted home strongly to gun down a field that included former Kiwi Tango Tara and top-class three-year-old Bar Room Banta, winning by 1.9 metres in a 1:54 mile rate for 2150m.
Kilgour’s new venture Cavalier Bloodstock has been going for six months, with Kilgour working around the Clevedon stables she shares with partner Josh Dickie in the mornings before “jumping onto the computer and doing her homework” in the afternoons.
Dickie is a key part of the equation.
“He’s always going to give an honest opinion of a horse and he’s more than happy to drive any I’m interested in.”
In Jimmy The Irishman’s case Dickie drove him in all six of his New Zealand starts, with the four-year-old son of Big Jim winning once, at Cambridge, for trainer Glen Harwood before heading across the Tasman in February.
“What I liked about him was just he was a handy horse with a lovely attitude,” says Kilgour, “you want to see horses who are running on and want to do it. Speed and attitude are the main attributes I look for.”
And that doesn’t necessarily mean a huge outlay.
“I’m not afraid to buy a cheapie,” she admits, “in that $10-20,000 bracket.”
Jimmy The Irishman’s six wins have netted over $40,000 already.
An Australian who’s been in this country for the past couple of years, Kilgour has been around horses all her life, with her late mother Kaye being well-respected in the industry.
“She had a phenomenal eye for a horse… if I could be half as good as her ….”
Among Kaye Kilgour’s achievements were breeding nearly two million dollar earner Bling It On. Sammy is still a part owner of the six-time Group One winner, who has also sired four individual winners.
With contacts now on both sides of the Tasman, Sammy Kilgour has loyal clients especially in Melbourne, where she worked for Jimmy The Irishman’s trainer Adam Kelly, and with his regular driver Zac Phillips.
“Adam’s bought three off me and Zac two.”
While the business in its fledgling stages she is keen to grow it – “it is tough finding horses but I have my eye on a couple and I’m just waiting to hear back.”
Nothing beats winning races and Jimmy The Irishman is proving the perfect advertisement, week after week.
