SUNDAY: October 27, 2024: MUDGEE was a happy hunting ground yesterday for Hawkesbury trainers Mitch and Desiree Kearney and Darryll Kell.
Team Kearney clinched an overdue double – the first in more than three and a half years – and Kell followed up his maiden provincial victory at home on Thursday by winning with the second of only three horses he has in work.
The Kearneys took the Maiden Plate (1200m) with More Voltage ($3.60) and the Benchmark 50 Handicap (1100m) with Hard Pick ($2.80 favorite).
Kell gave Hawkesbury three of the five winners on the program by snaring the Benchmark 50 Handicap with $8 chance Out Wrapped (in which Team Kearney ran third with Sizzling Tale).
Desiree Kearney’s cousin Robbie Brewer continued his successful return to the riding ranks by scoring on More Voltage; his second victory from only five recent rides after taking a 17 months’ sabbatical.
“Robbie has long had a battle with his weight, and took a good break after he had one ride at Moruya in April last year,” Mrs Kearney said.
“It was great to see him win a race for us, and the same with Hard Pick’s apprentice rider Zoe Hunt, who also won for us on Sizzling Tale at Mudgee three weeks ago.”
Team Kearney’s previous double was achieved at the Goulburn picnics on February 27, 2021 with Magic Talent and Chloebella Rose.
Whereas More Voltage was a $2000 yearling buy at the 2022 HTBA sale in Sydney, Hard Pick fetched $15,000 online in August as a tried horse, having previously been prepared by former Hawkesbury trainer Ed Cummings.
“More Voltage should have won a race before now,” Desiree Kearney said. “He’s an equine Homer Simpson; he’s a bit of a thinker.
“It was difficult to get his trust when we first bought him, and we had to work hard to get him on side.
“Now he’s a favorite, and is part of the furniture at the stable.
“Mitch worked for Ed (Cummings) for a time and liked Hard Pick when he was there and bought him when he went online a couple of months ago.
“Mitch’s brother Shane also came into the horse, and we syndicated him to have a bit of fun.
“As well as having fun, our focus was to get the money back we paid for him, and we have just about achieved that.”
Darryll Kell didn’t waste any time cashing in again on the back of his much-publicised triumph at Hawkesbury last Thursday with $15 chance Mahogany Girl, who had a long break away from the track and gave birth to a now yearling colt by Peltzer before joining his team earlier this year.
He made it two wins in three days when seven-year-old mare Out Wrapped, who was ridden by Georgina McDonnell, posted her third career victory.
“I trained Out Wrapped earlier, but the guys didn’t want to continue racing her and myself and my wife Lisa were able to buy her,” Kell said.
“I transferred her to Nell Foley at Sutton Forest for a period when I put my licence on hold for a year to build a new house.”
Kell praised McDonnell for her winning ride on Out Wrapped.
“Georgina has a racing brain and is a strong young rider,” he said.
“She gave the mare a dig in the ribs at the start and put her in the box seat, one out and one back in harness racing terms.”
Both the Kearneys and Kell gave due credit to Mudgee Race Club for its Breast Cancer Awareness race day.
“We always enjoy racing our horses at Mudgee, and there was a really good crowd there yesterday,” Desiree Kearney said.
Kell added: “The course was a sea of pink in keeping with the theme of the day, and the club should be congratulated for putting on such an excellent meeting which was well sponsored.”
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