By Garry Dell
Townsville trainer Bill Kenning has a new twist on the old adage of "horses for courses".
He prefers "horses for seasons".
At least he believes it's true with five-year-old Dawn Approach gelding Dawn Too Good, who has won his first two starts after a spell during the hot summer months.
"He's definitely a winter horse," Kenning said after the gelding's all-the-way victory in a Class 4 Plate over 1200 metres at Cluden Park Townsville last week.
Dawn Too Good had been most impressive in his previous Class 3 win over 1000 metres at Cluden on May 31.
"He raced okay during the spring and summer but he's a pretty big horse and the cooler weather suits him much better," he said.
"I'm not sure what the real reason is but it must just be in his make-up.
"It took us a while to work it out but we seem to be on the right track and we're looking towards the upcoming carnivals in the north to improve his resume.
"I was very pleased with both his runs this time in, particularly the way he finished off the 1200 metres second-up carrying the full 59kgs and scoring from the favourite, Barney's Blaze, who won well at Rockhampton a fortnight ago and had more than four kgs in his favour.
"Jockey Wanderson D'Avila has a pretty big opinion of him and was confident a fair way out."
Kenning, a former jockey who took over training with partner Julie Bell when he retired from race riding, has a small but select number in his stable and does most of his own track work and barrier trials.
He has a high strike rate with tried horses and is an astute buyer at Magic Millions QTIS sales in March each year.
Dawn Too Good began his career with Gary Moore in Sydney and won two races before transferring into Kenning's care last year.
Kenning and Bell bought the gelding early this year and race him in partnership with previous owners including female members of the Bubbles syndicate.
Another female trainer kept the flag flying for Townsville when Kelly Sheargold and jockey partner Scott Sheargold landed Light Field a winner of the Benchmark 60 Handicap over 1400 metres last Thursday.
Light Field had been successful first-up at his previous start on May 31 when he defeated the Kenning-trained Shepherd Of Fire in a Benchmark 55 event over 1200 metres.