I Am A Venus victory a boost for Healey
Trainer Dale Healey has received a timely boost when smart filly I Am Venus scored an impressive win at Eagle Farm.
I Am Venus ($14) came from the extreme outside barrier to beat Initialize ($4.60) by a 1/2 length with three quarters of a length to the favourite Royal Myth ($2.80) in third place in the Austrans Handicap.
Healey is a former Foley Shield rugby league star in north Queensland but has been training at a private property near the Sunshine Coast for the past year.
He went into a training partnership this with his son Bill, a former top equestrian rider after suffering a heart turn.
“Dad had heart problems on Monday but he is at home watching on television now. He will get a real kick from this,” Bill Healey said.
“I have been helping dad for a while now so it was good we can have our first winner with our first runner as a training partnership.”
I Am Venus cost $155,000 at the Inglis sales and continued the great run of the sire I Am Invincible.
I am Invincible, who stands at Yarraman Park Stud, has had more than 20 individual winners in the past month.
Winning jockey Jim Orman was full of praise for I Am Venus.
“They don’t often win from the outside barrier at 1000 metres anywhere and she was going strongly on the line,” he said.
“I think she will get 1200 metres without any problems.”