BENDIGO trainer Kym Hann is proving you don’t need to spend big money or train a lot of horses to have success on the racetrack.
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Of his past 10 runners Hann, who only has 11 horses on his books, has had six winners and one placing.
Headlining the winter success is home-bred sprinter Tennessee Lad.
The rising six-year-old has won its past three starts, including a dominant four-length win on a heavy track in a Showcase race at Cranbourne last run.
Tennessee Lad has a career record of five wins and one second placing from 12 starts - not bad considering he’s the only horse to race from unheralded sire Potter.
“My Dad and I bred the horse… we didn’t have to pay for the sire fee and the mare (Soroya) was given to us,’’ Hann said.
“The mare has had a couple of other foals but none of them have raced yet. It’s just one of those lucky things that happens in horse racing sometimes.
“He’s been a slow-maturing horse and we’ve looked after him. He’s improved a lot this time in, but I don’t think we’ll see the best of him until next preparation.”
Tennessee Lad races up on the pace and thrives on wet tracks.
The gelding’s next start will be at Echuca next Monday or at Sandown in 10 days time.
“The race at Echuca keeps him in his grade, but it might not be wet enough there,’’ Hann said.
“The race at Sandown is a step up in class for him, but the track is more likely to be heavy.”
While Tennessee Lad is in career-best form, three-year-old filly Swing With Me, three-year-old gelding Rise For Reilly and two-year-old Glenrowan Prince are potentially Hann’s best horses.
Swing With Me is out in the paddock after winning three of her previous four starts.
The daughter of Kaphero won her maiden by six lengths at Ararat before leading all the way at Kilmore and Seymour.
“Our aim with Swing With Me is to race her through her grades at the Moonee Valley night series,’’ Hann said.
“She’s got plenty of ability but I don’t want to throw her in the deep end too early.”
Rise For Reilly won on debut at Geelong earlier this month.
The three-year-old, which Hann paid $100,000 for, was trapped wide the entire race but still won by half a length.
“I have a big opinion of him, but I’m going to take my time with him,’’ Hann said.
“He’s a slow maturing horse, so he’ll go the paddock and he’ll be a better horse over 2000m.”
Glenrowan Prince has been placed twice from three starts and ran a close-up seventh in the Group Two Sires Produce Stakes.
“He will make a Saturday class horse or even higher,’’ Hann said of Glenrowan Prince.
“He’s just come back into work and we might even have a look at the Sandown Guineas with him.”
Hann is originally from Victor Harbor in South Australia.
He started his training career at Port Lincoln before spending 18 months in Sydney with the powerful Darley racing operation.
He moved to Bendigo four years ago and he’s now starting to reap the rewards of his hard work.
“I love it here,’’ Hann said.
“Bendigo is so central to everywhere and the track here is the best country track in Victoria.
“People tell me to move closer to Melbourne, but there’s no need to do that when everything I need is here.”