ASTRO’S OAKS DAY OUT OF THIS WORLD
TRAINER HOPES TO CHEER AT LOVONNE’S SPECIAL TIME
Gnarwarre trainer Alan Hunter, right, will live out a dream, taking stable star Astro Castro to Flemington today. And the five-year-old will have plenty of help to get over the line in front.
IF Astro Castro salutes at Flemington today, Gnarwarre trainer Alan Hunter will know exactly where his galloper found that extra length from. His sister.
Hunter and sister Lovonne, who he lost to breast cancer three years ago, were regulars at the Flemington carnival over the past 30 years.
But the small-time trainer never had one good enough to run on any of the big days — until now.
Hunter saddles up Astro Castro in the $200,000 Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Final (1600m) at today’s Oaks meeting and he will have a little piece of Lovonne by his side for good luck.
“Last night I grabbed one of her bags, her membership card . . . I’m going to put all the race gear in her bag and take that to Flemington,” Hunter said.
“My sister lived a nine iron away from Flemington and we used to stay there and go to every day of the carnival.
“The Spring Racing Carnival was huge for my sister. She went to something like 30 spring carnivals — she would take the week off and go to all four days.”
Hunter only has a small team at his scenic Gnarwarre property.
He trains mainly for family and has a couple of his own on the side.
Growing up in country Victoria, Hunter was always around horses. His grandfather Curly Burns was a legend in his own right, training 600 winners from Tempy, near Swan Hill.
Astro Castro wears Curly’s colours, which have been seen in some of Victoria’s biggest races.
But it was not until later in life that Hunter decided to jump in and become a trainer.
“School holidays I spent down there with my grandfather. I’d help him with the sheep and the horses,” he said.
“I’d go off to the races with him or my uncle and I just used to love it. I moved away from it as I got older, but I still had an interest in it.
“Eventually the passion got stronger and it grew from there. I moved back from Western Australia and enrolled at Marcus Oldham and we found a place at Gnarwarre and built it up from nothing.
“I’m not here to be a world beater. I’m just happy doing what I do. I’m happy with my small team of horses, I wouldn’t want to be in charge of 60 horses.”
Hunter knew he had a good horse on his hands from the minute Astro Castro hopped on the float from his uncle’s property.
He had a great length of stride and he was able to sustain his speed over distance, too.
A jump out at Ballarat confirmed he was seriously talented and then it was proved publicly when Astro Castro was a stunning 100-1 winner down the straight at Flemington on debut.
But injury restricted his ability to perform in his two preparations after that.
With those problems now solved, the five-year-old is starting to return to his best again.
Astro Castro has stepped up in distance at every run this preparation and his win on Geelong Cup Day over 1500m suggests he will have no problem stepping up to 1600m.
Astro Castro has drawn barrier two with regular jockey Jason Benbow booked for the ride.
“Jason came down last
Friday. He gave him a good gallop and said he was going good,” Hunter said.
“He came through the run at Geelong super. He was a little bit flat the afternoon after the race but then he picked up straight away.
“He gave everything on the day. He really put in and didn’t shirk the issue at all.
“I actually think there is improvement to come.
“Hopefully the good gate works to our advantage. He will be up there and hopefully when the whips are cracking he will be right there at the end.”
Regular strapper Brett Denham will lead Astro Castro around the mounting yard.
The pair have forged an unbelievable bond and Denham, 23, who has an acquired a brain injury from an illness when he was a toddler, has been on the phone to Hunter every day to make sure Astro is going well.
“He is so excited,” Hunter said. “He has been ringing me every day which is great.”
Hunter knows how special it is to train a horse good enough to compete on these types of days.
The moment will not be lost on him and he is planning to make the most of it.
“It’s enormous. It’s the biggest stage of all as far as racing is concerned,” he said.
“Its an occasion that might not happen again, so you’ve got to smell the roses and I don’t think a lot of people do.”
Hopefully Astro Castro does the same.
“He gave everything on the day. He really put in and didn’t shirk the issue at all. I actually think there is improvement to come.” — ALAN HUNTER