Brett’s the biggest
SPECIAL BOND GIVES ASTRO CASTRO THE EDGE
THERE were plenty of well dressed winners prancing around at yesterday’s Geelong Cup meet but none were smiling as broadly as Brett Denham.
Mr Denham, 23, was the strapper of Alan Huntertrained Astro Castro, Geelong’s only hometown winner of the day.
“(I) lead the horses into the mounting yard and get them ready for the jockey,” he explained.
Mr Denham acquired a brain injury from an illness when he was a toddler, and got his stablehand qualification two years ago.
His mum, Michelle, and his boss, Hunter, agreed it was the job he was born to do.
“He’s just very calm. Some people, when a horse plays up, they react to it, but Brett just stays calm and the horse relaxes with him,” Hunter said.
“As Michelle says ‘horses don’t discriminate’.”
Mr Denham was Astro Castro’s strapper for his first race more than a year ago at Flemington, his steady hand setting the 100-1 longshot up for a win that stunned the bookies.
He’d been with the fiveyear-old for six races since then without luck. Until yesterday’s race four. “He’s a good racehorse,” Mr Denham said after the race.
But his beaming smile revealed just how thrilled he was to be involved in a winner on Cup Day in his home town.
“He’s over the moon,” said his proud mum.
“Brett doesn’t over-express his over the moon, but if you know him you can tell.”
The Denhams and Hunters have known each other for almost 20 years, since Mrs Denham was a teacher at Marcus Oldham agriculture college and Hunter was a student.
Their friendship, forged through a shared love of horses, has strengthened through the bond the trainer now has with Mr Denham.
“Alan has been really kind to Brett,” Ms Denham said.
“People with acquired brain injuries don’t always have great opportunities. But Alan and another trainer, Nick Roe, have provided Brett with great opportunities, as have the people at Leisure Networks.”
Another smiling winner at yesterday’s Geelong Cup meet was surfer Daniel Dales-Sutton, who snared $5000 for the Thirteenth Beach Board Riders Club.
He beat a field of 14 others, most representing Geelong region football clubs, in the prelunch Carlton Draught Community Cup.
The novelty event was the first track event of Cup Day, a foot race on the final 100m of the home straight.
Dressed as human-sized pots of beer, the runners had to negotiate five hurdles while carrying a full glass of beer and get to the finish line with some amber fluid remaining.
“This is the best day of me life ... it’s the only thing I’ve ever won,” Mr Dales-Sutton, 25, said after winning and skolling the leftovers in his glass.
With 200 members, the club is saving to build its own clubhouse, and is having fruitful discussions with the City of Greater Geelong about the project.
The race was run at 11.30am before a small crowd that quickly grew when the horses hit the track.
Sharon Rixon, and Pamela