Simon Casey is a patient man and he has had to be since moving his stable from South Australia’s Murray Bridge to Scone in early April.
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Since then he has had 33 starters on provincial and country tracks for eight placings but is yet to lead in a winner.
Last month he headed to Warwick Farm with Duquessa only to run second again.
“I thought if I can’t win a race in the country I might as well aim for the top and try the city,” he said.
“It still didn’t work.”
That however might change at Scone today where he starts Ode To Caitlin, in the first race, the Edinburgh Park @ Segenhoe Class Two (1600m) with Robert Thompson to ride her for the first time.
At her previous two starts Ode To Caitlin has ran third, coming from near last at Mudgee then grinding away down the long straight at Newcastle after coming from last near the turn.
“I put her in the paddock for a freshen up after Newcastle and it worked,” Casey said.
“She worked enormous on Tuesday morning so hopefully we can finally get a winner.
“It will be a big celebration if we do.”
Casey moved to Australia from Ireland 20 years ago with a Diploma in Horse Management and a background of working in stables in England and Ireland and also at Coolmore.
He settled in Murray Bridge and enjoyed considerable success both in Adelaide and at provincial and country tracks but things changed when his partner, Michelle Maidment, was offered the position of resident vet on Coolmore‘s Australian stud at Jerrys Plains.
“It was an opportunity of a life time for Michelle and a no brainer, we had to make the move,” Casey said.
Casey always knew he would have to be patient with Ode To Caitlin, by Dylan Thomas out of the More Than Ready mare Ready For More.
“I trained Ready For More and she ran third in the Port Adelaide Cup and still holds a track record at Morphetville,” Casey said.
“She won up to 2500 metres and I always knew Ode To Caitlin would need time.
“It has also taken her time to adapt to the way of going over here.”
The one hurdle that Casey and Ode To Caitlin have to overcome in the quest for that breakthrough win is the Paul Perry trained Rosabaya, to be ridden by Thomas Huet.
Rosabaya is the winner of her last two starts, both at Scone, but just as importantly she is in a stable that can do no wrong.
It was summed up perfectly by Shannon Perry, the son and stable foreman for the trainer, after the stable landed a winning treble at Muswellbrook 11 days ago.
“Dad has got his eye in and we are enjoying the ride.”
In less than three weeks Perry has had a treble at Muswellbrook and doubles at Cessnock, Wyong, Gosford and Newcastle to put him in third place on the provincial premiership and second place on the country premiership.
Rosabaya won her maiden on a heavy track then came back after a five week break to win a Class One.
“Jumping from a maiden win to a Class One win at the next start is always the mark of a good horse,” Shannon Perry said at the time.
Perry will have seven runners today with Huet, Paul King, Serg Lisnyy and Priscilla Schmidt sharing the rides.
Schmidt recently moved back to Port Macquarie from Brisbane to finish her apprenticeship under the care of her grandfather, Glen Hodge and Perry has been quick to utilise her talents.
He has given her the rides on Stutzen, a top chance in the Hollard Insurance Benchmark 60 and on Probationary in the Pluck @ Vinery Class Three.