By Glenn Davis
Mackay trainer Trinity Bannon has three good reasons to head to Townsville’s Cluden Park on Friday.
Bannon will saddle up Casta (Class Six Plate), Sir Vandyke (Class Three Plate) and Old Smokey in the Tropical Containers Handicap.
Bannon has high hopes for all three with Casta aiming to stretch his winning sequence to four following a hat-trick of wins at Mackay while Sir Vandyke will be out to repeat his first-up Class Two win at Mackay on September 22.
Old Smokey is a winner of seven of his 29 starts but is resuming after his last start Townsville failure in April.
Bannon is not only a trainer but also juggles her work commitments with being a mother of two-year-old son Kobe while she is due for a baby in December.
“All three should be in the mix,” Bannon said.
“My biggest worry with Casta is that he could be looking for the paddock and he’s still acclimatising after coming from Victoria.
“The penny still hasn’t dropped with him so he’ll be even better next preparation.”
Bannon was impressed with Sir Vandyke’s debut win for the stable after he also was previously trained in Victoria.
“He had never been in a race shorter than 1600 metres before he won over 1200 metres for me,” she said.
“The way he finished off his win was very promising.
“Old Smokey was hurt in a float getting ready for the Townsville Cup two preparations ago and I brought him back too early for his last campaign.
“I put him back out again and gave him a long spell and he’s come back better and is trialling well.”
Bannons’ move into the training ranks has been a huge success.
The former top apprentice claimed the Mackay premiership in only her second year as a trainer last season and has won both the apprentices and seniors titles as a rider.
The 33-year-old switched careers to training following a serious collarbone injury after being kicked by a horse in 2015.
Bannon has started the new season where she left off and has trained seven wins on the Queensland provincial circuit, the same as arch rival and former boss, John Manzelmann who she edged out to win the Mackay trainers’ championship.
Racing Queensland webnews October 11