Boutique operation paying off for Livingstone

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Sharryn Livingstone only has four horses in work, but is reaping the rewards of her boutique stable as she closes in on her sixth year of training.

Livingstone’s stables are located at Kurwongbah on Brisbane’s northside and she travels into Deagon most days for trackwork.

“I’ve only got five boxes and a four-horse float and I have to travel into Deagon most days for trackwork,” Livingstone said.

“Sometimes I take them to Sandgate beach, or I can go across the road from home and work them on a neighbour’s trotting track.

"It’s a bit different there than regular trackwork, as the scenery is a lot better, which breaks up the monotony."

Livingstone is the daughter of veteran Doomben trainer Ian Livingstone, who is in his 70s and still trains the odd horse or two.

She will head to Doomben on Wednesday with half her stable when she saddles Click Click Boom and Thelwell in the Benchmark 78 Handicap over 1200 metres.

Thelwell gave Livingstone the thrill of a lifetime when he qualified for the Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast in 2022.

“To run in the Magic Millions, that was one of the big highlights of my career,” Livingstone said.

“The other major highlight was with Chakra Boy, who gave me my biggest winner when he won a big race (worth $200,000) at the Sunshine Coast.”

Livingstone has booked Justin Stanley to ride Click Click Boom and Cejay Graham for Thelwell.

Click Click Boom has won four of his 17 starts and is coming off a last start third to the Danny Bougoure-trained Alpha Bravo in an 1100 metre Benchmark race at Ipswich on May 13.

“It was a good run and he was only beaten by his big weight,” Livingstone said.

“I went there because it was a QTIS race and I claimed on him that day. He’s definitely the pick of my two at Doomben and I think he should be very competitive again.

“He’s getting better with age, but he can be a bit tricky to ride as he tends to lay in on horses.

“If he can win this, I’d love to step him up to a quality race somewhere later in the winter carnival.”

Click Click Boom was a $27,000 buy at the Magic Millions sales in 2023.

“I went to the sales with a bunch of new owners and missed out on nearly everyone,” Livingstone said.

“One of the owners said, ‘We’re not going home without one,’ so we bought Click Click Boom late.”

Thelwell finished ninth at his last appearance behind the Matthew Hoysted-trained Town Crier in an 1100 metre Benchmark race at Ipswich on May 13.

“Getting a horse like him to run in a Magic Millions Classic was a real thrill,” she said.

“But, I have to favour Click Click Boom over Thelwell in a 1200 metre race.”