SKY'S THE LIMIT FOR MAY

JUNE 17, 2025: ‘BREAK a leg’ is an old English idiom used in the context of theatre or other performing arts to wish a performer “good luck”!

But there was no good luck – at least not at first – for Hawkesbury trainer Kevin May when he broke a leg riding trackwork last December.

It wasn’t on one of his own horses either. He was galloping another Hawkesbury trainer’s horse when the accident happened.

Thankfully, all’s well that ends well.

May was back in the winning list at his home track today for the first time in almost two and a jhalf years when lightly-raced three-year-old Caelus ($9) took the Belle Property Hawkesbury Provincial Maiden Handicap (1300m) at only his third start.

And he believes the time he was forced to take off because of the broken leg played an important role in his gelding’s progress.

May and his wife Kelly paid $15,000 for the son of Lord Of The Sky at the 2021 Inglis HTBA yearling sale in Sydney.

“We picked Caelus out in the catalogue but really thought we wouldn’t be able to afford him,” May said this evening.

“It was a nice surprise when we were able to buy him within our budget.”

The couple came up with the youngster’s name as Caelus is the Roman god of the sky.

“We try to keep everything relative to the pedigree when we name our horses,” May explained.

Securing the Lord Of The Sky youngster was great, but it was no easy task to get him to the races.

“He didn’t start as a two-year-old, and was shin sore after his first trial last September as an early three-year-old,” May said.

“We gave him a break of six weeks, and he was still sore when he came back, but it wasn’t just shin soreness.

“He had muscle soreness, and was sore everywhere.

“When I had the accident in December, obviously we couldn’t do anything with Caelus.

“But that extra break did him so much good, and slowly he started to grow another leg.”

Newcastle apprentice William Stanley had Caelus away smartly, and even though he raced keenly early, rated him well to lead throughout.

The gelding defeated fellow Hawkesbury trainer Ed O’Rourke’s Empress Tsarina ($7) and Kembla Grange father and son Rob and Luke Price’s Jamarni ($4.40).

Former jockey May sought Stanley for the mount after being impressed with him recently.

“I watch the apprentices not just when they win races, but how they ride in general,” he said.”

“I have been impressed with William, and he did a terrific job on Caelus.

“My sole concern today was how Caelus would manage the 1300m, but he handled it well.”

May has only three horses in work at present with another two youngsters yet to come in, and rides trackwork for other trainers to supplement his income.

The $21,000 first prizemoney Caelus earned undoubtedly will be a big help to the couple, being May’s first winner since Ever Upward scored at Bathurst in January 2023.

However, because of his small string, he has had only a dozen or so starters since.