Trainer Steven Royes hunting Cloncurry Cup

By Jordan Gerrans

With one galloper from his team already qualified for the Country Cups Challenge Final, Mt Isa trainer Steven Royes heads into the 2021 Cloncurry Cup with two more hopefuls aiming to punch their ticket.

Royes, who works at an underground mine in Mt Isa as well as training his stable, collected a winning trifecta in the recent Spring Cup on his home track, with Grand Symphony nosing out stable-mate Loud Enough on the line.

In getting the bob on the finishing post, grey gelding Grand Symphony is now eligible for the CCC Final at Doomben later this year.

In Friday’s Cloncurry Cup, to be raced over a mile for $25,000, the Royes yard presents with the Grand Symphony, Loud Enough, who claimed the 2021 Mt Isa Cup earlier this year, and Kapset.

Of his three chances, Royes believes grand campaigner Loud Enough – a 15-time winner for almost $300,000 in prize money – is his leading hope in the race, but says the nine-year-old chestnut will not find it easy going.

“The best horse in the race is my one, the top-weight, but he faces a huge ask carrying that weight coming from barrier 10 of 10,” Royes said on Thursday morning after coming off night shift in the mines.

“It is a real tough ask.

“Grand Symphony beat him a nose here at Mt Isa carrying similar weight race last week.

“The horse that I believe will be hardest to beat will be Cinnamon Missile of John Manzelmann's, but a couple of the things in my favour is that I need to travel and hour down the road while he is coming from Mackay – which is 13 hours.

“John is an astute man.”

The 2021 Cloncurry Cup champion will book their entry for the $105,000 CCC Final in Brisbane in early December, with the card from Cloncurry this Friday to be broadcast on Sky Racing.

The Royes stable is enjoying a sparkling season so far, going at 25 per cent for starters turning into winners – as well as over 60 per cent for his gallopers running in the top three.

Royes owns and trains Loud Enough, who has won from 1300 metres up to 2100 metres in his career, which started in NSW.

“He is a lovely old horse,” he said.

“He has been a pretty special horse with all his wins.”

Royes brought Loud Enough to the big smoke in 2018 for the CCC Final, which was won by Brenton Andrew’s Baker Boy, as the Mt Isa veteran finished just over four lengths behind the winner.

With one from his barn already qualified and more chances to come, Royes said he will consider returning to Brisbane later this year, depending on if he can fit it around his schedule.

Royes’ sister, fellow North West Queensland trainer Shryn Royes, will also have a starter in the Cup, Breakdance to be ridden by apprentice hoop Dan McGillivray.

Cloncurry and District Race Club president Luke Daniels is over the moon with the 78 acceptors across the seven races for Cup day of 2021.

“We are really excited about the fields that will assemble at Cloncurry to race this week,” Daniels said.

“We have horses coming from all over Queensland and from Darwin in the Northern Territory.”

As well as a CCC qualifier at Cloncurry on Friday, the dirt track will also host a Country Stampede qualifier.

Steven Royes’ stable will have the in-form Full Of Fire in the Country Stampede qualifier but the trainer feels the I Am Invincible gelding might be outclassed in the Open Handicap field over 1000 metres.

“He is facing some top line sprinters, he will run a race but they may be too smart for them,” he said.

Tanya Parry’s Wicked Wiki qualified for the Country Stampede Final last month at Mt Isa and will contest this week’s qualifier at Cloncurry as well.

The Country Cups Challenge and Country Stampede has returned bigger and better in 2021.

Over 20 heats will take place across regional Queensland with the best horses in country racing chasing a berth to battle it out in a Metropolitan final held at Doomben during the TAB Queensland Summer Racing Carnival. 

Qualifiers will be spread out across the state this week, being held at Cloncurry, Atherton and Emerald.