THE newly formed training partnership of Leanne Gaffney and her son Clinton celebrated their first meeting with a winner courtesy of Bernaurd scoring an upset win in the class two handicap over 1150 metres at Spreyton on Sunday.
Bernaurd was having his second run back from a spell and with talented apprentice Georgie Catania in then saddle the four-year-old led throughout to score an impressive win over race favourite Tennessee Drive that was aiming to keep his unbeaten record intact.
Despite the Gaffneys predicting a marked improvement in their charge the gelding was offered p at $19 on fixed odds primarily owing to the weight of money for Tennessee Drive that start at $1.50.
However, the Troy Blacker-trained five-year-old had excuses as he clipped heels and almost fell 50m from home which cost him at least two lengths and the winning margin was under a length.
“I am thrilled to get a winner with our first runner under the training partnership with my son (Clinton),” Gaffney said.
“We thought the horse would run well – he was under-done when he got beaten first up and also copped a check, otherwise I thought he would have run second,” she said.
Joining forces with his mother was a natural progression for Clinton who had a solid grounding wining picnic races as a jockey and he also worked as a stablehand, trackwork rider and horse breaker before the 23-year-old returned home this year.
Leanne ha he partnership vision some time back and in order to accommodate a sizeable team she acquired stables at Spreyton as well as having a decent self-contained training complex on her property at Spreyton.
“We’ve got 10 in work and that will grow to 15 when all of our horses come back in,” she said.
Bernaurd’s win completed a double for Catania who also guided Nuclear Star to victory for her master John Blacker.
Catania gave a prolonged victory salute with her whip when she crossed the line aboard Nuclear Star in honour of her grandmother Judy Boxall who died during the week.
Photo courtesy of Greg Mansfield.