Sporty Spook has been a great horse for harness racing trainer David Kennedy. The four-year-old gelding has won more than $125,000 and while his efforts have given Kennedy plenty of excitement, a victory in Sunday night’s Junee Pacers Cup could potentially be the talented horseman’s 250th winner as a driver.
Kennedy will go into Sunday’s meeting on 249 winners and will have the opportunity to drive in two races prior to the Junee Cup but it seems almost poetic that a career milestone could be achieved on one of Kennedy’s better performed runners in a country feature race.
“It is going to put a bit of pressure on me now but look he’s a pretty faultless pacer and he just got it all wrong at Temora last start so I’d forgive him for that,”
“He has been working really well last start, Jarrod Alchin went to Temora last time out to drive him for me because I wanted his opinion on whether Sporty Spook and Shes A Runa were going well enough to take to Sydney for a couple of races but neither of them performed up to standard.”
Kennedy is thinking about putting Sporty Spook in the Chariots Of Fire qualifier, the Paleface Adios Stakes while he is hoping Shes A Runa will get a start in a Ladyship Mile lead-up.
“I want to try and concentrate on races that I actually think I can be competitive in because last year I took Sporty Spook to the NSW Derby, he ended up running third but it probably cost him because by the time the Breeders Challenge came around later in the season he wasn’t in top form.
“So with the Breeders Challenge in mind again, I just want to see how he goes on Sunday night at Junee before deciding on going towards a Chariots qualifier.”
Shes A Runa will compete in the Allan Harpley Memorial on Sunday night and Kennedy was happy to see her return to form last start at Wagga.
“I trialled her leading into Temora but she was probably a little bit underdone and then she had to do so much work because of the draw and that brought about her undoing.
“It was good to see her return to winning form at Wagga last start, when she strode up to them around the turn she felt like she was in second gear, I’d been really happy with her up until Temora so hopefully she’s back in that sort of form again.”
After reaching M2 assessment, Kennedy is weighing up his options with the former NSW Oaks winner.
“If she won another couple at Menangle it would take her through to an assessment of M4, then she would be competing against the free-for-all horses every week which is a bit tough, so this could be her last season of racing.”
The Junee Pacers Cup on Sunday night is race six and is scheduled for 8:49pm.
Greg Hayes