Kinlyside building on hobby trainer moniker

By Glenn Davis

Hobby trainer is a moniker Townsville's Gavin Kinlyside proudly wears on his sleeve.

Kinlyside runs a highly successful plumbing business employing 15 people in Townsville and owned many racehorses before taking on the training caper in the 2022-23 season. 

Now, with the help of wife Casey and daughter Ruby, Kinlyside also operates a 50-acre training facility at Jensen on Townsville's northern outskirts.

It boasts a training track, swimming pool, paddocks and more than 30 horses, including broodmares.

“My wife Casey also has her own trainer’s licence and she does a lot of work in the background while my 15-year-old daughter Ruby has just got her stablehand licence,” Kinlyside said.

“I’ve got around 10 horses in work, but I’ve got a lot of babies coming through after I bought some at the Magic Millions sales.”

It took Kinlyside two years before he trained his first winner, which was Cool Story at Atherton in October of last year and he recently won his first race at Townsville with Starmeira last month.

Kinlyside has always had a passion for racing ever since he left Sydney as a 15-year-old.

“I’ve been up this way for 25 years,” said the 40-year-old conditioner.

“I wasn’t that involved with horses when I was in Sydney but I got a lot more involved up here.

“I had shares in about 12 horses and half-a-dozen with Sharlee Hoffman before I decided to train.

"I've always had a lot of interest in breeding and I’ve got about 30 horses on the farm and a couple of foals on the ground.”

Kinlyside heads to Cairns on Sunday with two starters and is hopeful of returning home a winner.

Starmeira is easily the pick of his pair in the Benchmark 55 Handicap over 1400 metres while Trusting Star tackles the Maiden Handicap over 1500 metres.

A five-year-old daughter of Starspangledbanner, Starmeria was a $2,500 buy online and has more than paid her way.

She won her maiden at Townsville on September 9 before a last start third to the Tom Button-trained Fallguy over 1300 metres at Ewan on September 26.

“She’s finally worked out what racing is all about,” Kinlyside said.

“She won well at Townsville, but she missed the kick by 12 lengths at Ewan and only got beaten half-a-length.

“It was a massive run and if she runs up to that again she’s going to be very hard to beat.

“I think Trusting Star is looking for 1600 metres but he should be competitive after finishing fifth in Townsville last time.”