TRAVELS PAY OFF FOR TEAM KEARNEY

SUNDAY: April 2, 2023: HAVE horse, will travel!

Hawkesbury husband and wife training partners Mitchell and Desiree Kearney have been going all over the countryside in recent days – and their travels paid off when bargain buy Lady Shenanigans scored at Taree’s TAB meeting yesterday.

Lady Shenanigans ($4.60), ridden by Serg Lisnyy, showed plenty of fight to land the Benchmark 66 Handicap (1250m) from $4 favorite Your Temptation and Obelius ($8) to post the fifth success of his 34-start career.

“It was a pretty tough effort as he chased the leader, and then looked like being passed by the runner-up on the home turn,” Mitch Kearney said today en route to starting two horses at the Mudgee meeting (without any luck).

“But he kept digging in. Lady Shenanigans is limited, but is a real trier and has been a terrific horse for our stable.”

Desiree Kearney paid only $1750 for the now Zoustar five-year-old online through Inglis Digital in April 2021 after he had originally fetched $300,000 when sold as a Magic Millions yearling at the Gold Coast in 2019.

Lady Shenanigans did not race for leading trainer Chris Waller, and was put up for sale after finishing last in an 895m barrier trial at Rosehill Gardens a few weeks beforehand.

The Kearneys were aware the gelding had undergone a throat operation and also had surgery on a hock when they took a punt and bought him to race themselves.

As well as his five wins, Lady Shenanigans has also been placed on eight occasions and returned nearly $124,000.

His wins have all been on different tracks; breaking through on the Beaumont track at Newcastle in January last year before scoring at Bathurst three months later and then at Quirindi and Gilgandra in August.

It was the couple’s first victory at Taree, but Mitch Kearney won there with Final Trick in December 2016 when he was training on his own.

The Kearneys took Magic Talent to Friday’s Muswellbrook Cup meeting, and as a $151 outsider when up in class, she ran a very pleasing fifth to Ice In Vancouver in the Skellatar Sprint (1000m), coming from a clear last on settling down.

“Serg (Lisnyy) said they went flat out and she couldn’t keep up, but it was good to see her get home nicely,” Mitch Kearney said.

“She races best with the sting out of the ground and usually takes a few runs to come to hand, so hopefully we can find a suitable race for her in the coming weeks.

“We’ve got 14 horses in work at present, and can always do with a few more.

“It’s been a very busy few days for sure, but you have to travel to try to best place your horses to win races.”