Kelly is based here on the Gold Coast and trains out of Traintech Stables, Bundall.
Before getting into training horses, Kelly spent a number of years as a jockey riding locally and in Brisbane, Ipswich, Northern NSW and Sunshine Coast. One of Kelly’s biggest rides was the 2010 Magic Millions Sprint where she rode Warrior Girl to win the coveted prize in a very fast time.
She hung up her silks mid 2010 to study before deciding to take up training instead and since then has had a number of good horses including Simply Smart, Rundle Heights and Murt the Flurt.
I’ve known Kelly for a few years now so deciding who to contact for our first blog was easy. I sat down with Kelly recently and ask her a few questions we were keen to get answers to:
What time do you start work each day?
I usually hit the stables around 3.30am each day. It’s not too bad in summer but it’s bloody hard getting out of bed in winter.
How many horses do you currently have in work?
I currently have 8 horses in work with more ready to come into the stables over the coming weeks. I’ve got one racing now which one I’m really quite excited about, Cellyse.
What inspired you to become a trainer when you retired from being a jockey?
I was in the middle of studying horse acupuncture and I was getting horse owners I’d ridden for in the past asking me if I would I train their horses. I was already used to the early morning starts so I thought, why not. So, I put acupuncture on hold and decided to get into training.
When buying a horse what types of things do you look for?
I’ll be heading to the Magic Millions sales in late March. I’m keen to find a *ready to run horse targeting the 2 and 3 year sprint racers for the 2017 Magic Millions. I look for things like good strong bones, a compact body – which means it’s got good muscle tone, is well balanced when it walks and has a *deep girth.
What is your life’s motto?
My life’s motto is work to live, not live to work. If you have your health, family, a few close friends and roof over your head, you are beyond rich.
When do you get time off and what do you do in your spare time?
Hahaha I don’t have any time off. I work 7 days a week, mornings and afternoons. I’m pretty much hands on 24/7 because I like to know my horses inside and out. If and when I do get a bit of spare time I love to shop, I am a female after all. I have a strong love of art and fashion.
What do you love about what you do?
I love what I do for the simple fact, I love horses. I love everything there is about them and I love what racing brings into your life. I’ve met so many people over the years, from all walks of life. People like yourself and our little filly Aster Bloom, she was such a pleasure to train and I really enjoyed being a part of that as share holder and trainer.
If you weren’t a trainer, what would you be?
I would have been a vet, I had planned to study to be a vet when I was young but ended up being a jockey instead. So, if I wasn’t doing what I was doing, it would have been a vet, or horse acupuncturist.
If you could have any 3 people over for dinner (dead or alive) who would they be and why?
Without a doubt my first choice would be Bart Cummings to pick his brains about everything he knows, you can never stop learning in this game. 2nd would be Margaret Thatcher, she was such a powerful, strong woman and I admired her for that and 3rd can’t leave my partner Garry out or I’ll be in trouble, besides, he’s a really good cook.
*Terms you may not be familiar with in Kelly’s catching up with…
Ready to run – this means the horse has been in training already and would be ready for its first race within weeks of purchase once it had settled in
Deep Girth – this area is essentially the middle of the horse, the length between the horses shoulders and its hips. A good girth gives plenty of room for the horses’ organs and a larger lung capacity which is important for sprinters in particular
