Hawkesbury Team Emerge From The Shade

Thursday, 30 May 2019: Hawkesbury couple Mitchell and Desiree Kearney stepped out of the shade at Newcastle on Tuesday when the training partnership turned their racing fortunes around.

Their underrated filly Gimme Shelter scored impressively but not before it seemed both her and the Kearneys’ recent bad luck would continue.

The Manhattan Rain three-year-old, a daughter of the unraced Dane Shadow mare Made In The Shade, overcame trouble to clinch the second win of her eight-start career in the Class 2 Handicap (900m).

In the process, she provided her joint trainers with their fifth success of the season, and first since Dynamic Dynasty won at Bathurst on January 29.

“It’s a relief to see this filly return to the winning list, and the same for us,” Mitchell Kearney said.

“Things just haven’t gone right for Gimme Shelter this preparation and we’ve been quiet as well.

“We just haven’t had the cattle, but hopefully this win will lead to better things for the remainder of the season.”

Gimme Shelter  was coming off an excellent performance at the Scone Cup meeting on May 10 when she came from well back to finish eighth of 16 in a Class 1 Handicap (1100m).

The Kearneys chose to put blinkers on the filly after that race and an impressive track gallop at Hawkesbury last week boosted their confidence about a return to winning form.

[b]Apprentice Jean Van Overmeire was cautioned by stewards and told to exercise greater care when attempting to secure clear running on Gimme Shelter after the filly produced a splendid turn of foot to win decisively after he pushed her into the clear.[/b]

“We’ll see how she pulls up and then look for another suitable race,” Kearney said.

“She won her maiden over 1100m at Gosford last November.

“That distance suits her, provided she gets genuine tempo and the right run.”

The Kearneys have 14 horses in work and train Gimme Shelter for her breeders the  Cotter family.

Now they are looking forward to taking her unraced two-year-old half-sister Factorial, by The Factor, to the races.

“We’ve taken our time with her, and she is ready to trial at Warwick Farm next Tuesday,” Mitch Kearney said.

 






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