Back to the future for Royes at Mount Isa

By Glenn Davis

Townsville trainer Steven Royes is hoping for a happy home coming when he saddles three starters at a rare TAB meeting at Mount Isa on Thursday.

The 56-year-old Royes combined his work in the Mount Isa mines from 1986 until earlier this year while also training a small team of horses.

He relocated to Townsville in January for family reasons where he prepares five horses at Wulguru, which backs onto the Cluden Park race track in Townsville.

His father, Chris “Wicky” Royes, looks after three horses for him in Mount Isa.

“I’ve got a young family with two twins - Ella and Ben – who are now seven,” Royes said.

“I’ve been going to Townsville a lot over many years and I thought the opportunities and schooling the kids here would be better.

“They’re in Grade 1 and it was a choice of training full time in Townsville or being a flying in, fly out mine worker while training.”

Royes has won a host of Mount Isa Cup's but rates his biggest win in the 2013 Townsville Lightning with Albertique.

“I’ve won the Mount Isa Cup so many times I can’t remember but it has to be at last eight times,” he said.

“I like to travel to all the major country carnivals and Albertique is still my best win in the Townsville Lightning.”

Royes rates former Sydney galloper Level Eight as his best chance at Mount Isa on Thursday when the 10-year-old lines up for career start 81 In the Open Handicap over 1450 metres.

“He was a cheap buy from Olivia Cairns who had him previously,” Royes said.

“He’s had his share of issues as he’s an older horse now and he gets a lot of arthritis which we just have to manage.”

Level Eight is chasing his 11th win and is coming off a last start third to Lord Greystoke in a Benchmark 70 race at Mount Isa on June 25.

“I’ve had him for around two years and he’s been very consistent,” he said.

Level Eight started his career in Sydney with Peter and Paul Snowden and has earned prize money of $322,000, more than any other starter on the seven-event program.