SA trainer back in the NT in quest of Tennant Creek Cup
It’s the annual Tennant Creek Cup meeting at Hagan Park on Saturday, and it’s no surprise that Strathalbyn trainer Kym Healy will be there.
The South Australian trainer travels here, there and everywhere – has so for years – and in the past 12 months he’s been trackside at remote locations such as Tennant Creek, Betoota, Bedourie, Birdsville, Kangaroo Island, Port Augusta and Broken Hill.
You’ll also find him at meetings in Adelaide and throughout regional SA, and he has always supported the Alice Springs Cup Carnival (April-May) and Darwin Cup Carnival (July-August).
He’s even been to Broome in the past – that’s 3295km from Strathalbyn.
It’s 3086km from Strathalbyn to Darwin.
After the first day of this year’s Alice Springs Carnival on April 8, Healy headed home and returned to the Red Centre and once the racing concluded in Central Australia he arrived back at Strathalbyn before embarking on yet another NT excursion.
Healy was tracked down between Erldunda and Alice Springs on Thursday afternoon heading north along the Stuart Highway – the NT’s main thoroughfare – bound for Tennant Creek when interviewed for this story.
“Just on my way back up there now, I’ll be there in a couple of hours,” he said.
“I normally go to Tennant Creek, I’ve been there a few times.
“It’s always a good day, they always get a good crowd and they look after you.
“I go to a lot of Country Cups – it’s a good one.
“I haven’t won a Tennant Creek Cup, finished third with Aussie Jack in 2017.
“I’m back there on Saturday and I think I have a live chance in the Cup.”
That horse Healy speaks of is seven-year-old gelding Taipan Tommy, who was outstanding in four starts during the recent Alice Springs Carnival.
The son of Dark Valley was a last start seventh over 1350m (BM56) at Strathalbyn on March 8 for trainer Dennis O’Leary before Healy acquired the horse – who boasted three wins from 26 starts at the time – before sending him to Alice in April.
A win over 1100m (0-66) was followed by a second over 1200m (0-66) and a win over 1400m (0-58) – by 8.3 lengths – before a last start win over 1600m (0-62) at Pioneer Park on Alice Springs Cup Day on April 30.
Taipan Tommy, who has only won once from three 1600m starts, was the early $1.90 favourite with online bookmakers for the $30,000 Tennant Creek Cup (1600m) and will have the services of in-form Alice Springs apprentice Ianish Luximon in the six-horse field.
Stablemate Stradari (Dakota-Lee Gillett), a six-year-old gelding, will also contest the Cup and is likely to start as the outsider after four disappointing Pioneer Park starts in April.
Healy, a former Darwin and Alice Springs Cup winner with Pretty Blonde, heads to Tennant Creek – some 508km up the road from the Red Centre – full of confidence after a successful Alice Springs Carnival.
He managed six wins over the five days, with Real Valentia, Equal Balance and I’m A Legend also saluting, to finish second as the leading trainer behind Dick Leech (10), who also won the Alice Springs Cup with Write Your Name.
“Yeah, I finished up alright in Alice, it wasn’t too bad at all,” he said.
“Taipan Tommy, he was a bit of a surprise with each run to be honest.
“I didn’t have him long before I went up to Alice, only for a couple of weeks.
“He really stepped up to the plate and performed really well.
“I didn’t realise how tough he was, but he just kept on lifting the bar with every start.
“He was terrific last start, that’s the first time he has won over 1600m, so yeah, that was a good result.
“I didn’t really know what to expect that day.
“We were continually backing him up, so it was just a bit of a throw at the stumps to see how he’d go.
“Stan Tsaikos, who gave him a good ride, was pretty confident on him and he delivered.
“The big 4kg drop in weight is going to help him.
“Obviously it will be his first time on the track – probably for most of the other runners as well.
“They’re all going there with the same intention – none of the runners have got an advantage I don’t think.”
Taipan Tommy is the form horse in the Cup, but Lunch Session (Leech), Spielberg (Angela Forster), Sienna’s Choice (Will Savage) and All Hard Wood (Chris Pollard) won’t lie down.
The other feature race on the six-event program is the $21,500 Denis Staunton Memorial Cup (1200m) for the 0-70 class and Healy has a starter, Mathematics (Luximon), who hails from the stable of former Alice Springs trainer Lisa Whittle.
Mathematics, a six-year-old gelding, has had 45 career starts for eight wins, so he will definitely give Zoumist (Forster), Sedona (Phil Cole) and Trystoff (Greg Connor) a run for their money.
“It will be interesting to see how he goes, he has raced up here for two years,” Healy said.
“He’s a bit of a handful and he’s a bit tricky, but we’ve worked him out I think.”
Healy, boasting an outstanding record on dirt and sand tracks, could have a big day at Tennant Creek as Paulo Pace (Jade Hampson) – yet another star performer during the Alice Springs Carnival – and Starlite Rebel (Hampson) are decent hopes.
“Paulo Pace was another one I only got just before I went up to Alice – he’s a nice horse,” he said.
“I think he will make a good Country Cups horse – he could be a Birdsville Cup horse or something like that.
“Starlite Rebel, she’s an honest little thing.
“She tries every time, she’s had four runs in Alice in April.
“I’d like to see her feature in the finish and provided the track is not too soft I think she can be.”