Hassett reveals her secret weapon with Hand Grenade

By Glenn Davis

It’s not uncommon to hear of a pint-sized pony being a secret weapon to a horse’s success.

The racing game has been littered with special companionships between thoroughbreds and friendly ponies over the years which helps keep an unruly horse calm.

One of the latest is star sprinter Giga Kick who is rarely seen without his pony-partner Frankie.

And, now Townsville’s Joanna Hassett has revealed the success behind her galloper Hand Grenade.

Hand Grenade will be searching for her second win under Hassett when she steps out in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap at Cluden Park in Townsville on Thursday.

Hassett revealed Hand Grenade was a handful to train early in her career, but she turned the corner after being spelled and developed a friendship with a pony named, Smudge.

Hand Grenade notched up her third win of her career last start when the filly won against her own age over 1000 metres in Townsville on May 27.

It was Hand Grenade’s first win for the stable since the filly was purchased from North Queensland trainer Tom Button for $15,000 last year.

A daughter of Power, Hand Grenade had placed in three of her previous six starts for Hassett before her breakthrough win.

“She doesn’t like being bothered so we put her out in the back paddock each day with a Shetland pony named Smudge and she loves it,” Hassett said.

“The pony usually goes to the races with her for every start but she didn’t go the day Hand Grenade won last time.”

Hassett believes the Shetland pony and a decent spell was the catalyst to Hand Grenade’s Townsville triumph.

“She had a few placings last campaign but she was in work a long time so we gave her a decent three-month spell,” Hassett said.

“I took her to Cairns when she ran fourth first-up but she didn’t travel well and we couldn’t get her back shoes on so she ran without them.

“She’s got a bag of tricks and she get very agitated when someone goes near her hind quarters so it wasn’t worth the risk for the farrier to shoe her.”

Hassett is confident Hand Grenade will again be competitive.

“This looks a stronger field than her last win but she’s got her confidence up now so she should race well,” Hassett said.

Hassett has four horses in work which keeps her busy outside of her job working for the Townsville Yacht Club.

“I’ve worked for the yacht club for 17 years in the accounting section and I’ve been training for around 14 years,” she said.

“I’ve only got four in work and I mostly get tried horses that’s why I call the stable “Hand Me Down Lodge.”