Bush Cups king tests his luck on the coast

By Jordan Gerrans

Steven Royes was the Cups king in the North West of Queensland before relocating to Townsville and the trainer is keen to land a provincial blow at Cluden Park on Saturday afternoon.

Royes’ record on his home deck at Mount Isa come Cup time every year was unrivalled when it comes to recent history.

He landed his eighth Mount Isa Cup with Dollson in 2024.

The dirt of Buchanan Park on a non-TAB day is a different ballgame altogether when you compare it to the $150,000 Townsville Cup this Saturday afternoon, but the outback horseman thinks he has a live chance in the staying feature.

Royes’ Cup hopeful Acclimatise has run in a number of traditional Townsville Cup lead-up races and while he has not won any of them, he has been as honest as they come.

Dating back to the Mackay Amateur Cup in late May, Acclimatise has run in the money on four straight occasions, which includes the Townsville Winter Cup and last Saturday’s Open Handicap over a mile.

Acclimatise’s record might not be overly eye-catching, but the 59-year-old Royes believes the chestnut gelding will be there in the finish on Saturday when it matters most.

“He is a live chance that horse, he really is,” Royes said.

“He is a big one-paced horse and he will get the 2000 metres. That was probably his best run to date on Saturday just gone.

“He was coming back from 2000 metres to a mile last Saturday as we just missed out on qualifying for the Cup through the Winter Cup – we just got beaten by a good horse.

“The owners were keen to run in the mile race to ensure we get into the Cup and his effort in that race was amazing considering the drop back in distance.

“He was ridden really well by Adam Sewell and given every chance.”

Hoop Sewell has retained the engagement for Saturday’s major 2000 metre prize. 

The jockey will need to be at his best to get Acclimatise in a prominent position as he was handed the starting gate of 17 earlier this week.

The move to Townsville has been a fruitful one for the former bush conditioner so far.

He just completed his best season in the last decade when it comes to winners, collecting 25 at a strike-rate of a tick over 12%.

Royes has boasted a much better strike-rate in recent years training on the dirt in the west but that was always with a much smaller team at his disposal.

He has almost in 20 in work at Cluden Park’s newly-opened stable complex, with the bulk of those raced by leviathan North Queensland owner Tom Hedley.

Funnily enough, Hedley does not own Cup contender Acclimatise but the majority of Royes’ other runners will carry Hedley’s famous orange silks.

On Saturday at Cluden, Royes will start Go Getaboy in the Cape Cleveland for his main owner as well as Set The Sails in the Class 3 Plate.

Cairns Jockey Club president Hedley has mainly had his horses with Roy Chillemi and Stephen Massingham over the years but has branched out to other stables, including Royes.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Tom,” Royes said.

Royes says his relationship with big-time owner Hedley is built on honesty and fairness.  

“Tom needs to get results and I am trying my hardest and doing my best,” Royes said.

“Tom is a patient man as he knows racing is a funny game because you can go through a slow spot and then get four or five winners quickly.

“If you are trying your guts out, Tom can see that and he will stick by you – that is what I hope I am doing for him.

“Tom is very supportive and I am very lucky to have him in my corner. Tom is very straight and calls it like it is. I have the support of him.”

Royes has four runners set for Tuesday’s Mackay program that Hedley owns. 

He has recently picked up new stable additions Eagle Warrior and Shines for Hedley and believes they will do a job in the north. 

It was a leap of faith for Royes to shift his family across the state to pursue a full-time training operation but as the statistics show, he is more than holding his own. 

“I lobbed here from Mount Isa with a few ordinary horses and I was able to get support from a few good owners here, with the main one being Tom,” the trainer said.

“It is a lot harder here than out home, your horses need to be a lot fitter.

“It is an even playing field here, you need to have fast horses and being able to manage them soundness wise is also key.

“We are getting winners with what we have got so far.

“The competition is obviously stronger here because the prizemoney is bigger. If you have the right horse here, you can get the right results.”

Royes is working his gallopers out of Cluden Park’s new stabling complex which was officially opened in June.

Located on the back straight of the racecourse, the $10 million project has delivered close to 100 on-course stables and was unveiled by Minister for Racing Tim Mander, Townsville Turf Club Chairman Geoff Weeks and Member for Mundingburra Janelle Poole.

As well as the Cluden stables, new feed rooms, wash down bays and horse walkers, as well as road access and sealed parking, have also been installed at the Townsville club recently. 

Royes says his horses took a while to settle into their new surroundings, but they are loving it now. 

“They are beautiful,” he said of the stables. 

“The horses have started to settle in better over the last few weeks, I have seen a change in them. Horses need to be happy to race well.”

Royes’ younger sister Shryn – who trains out of Richmond – also has a few winning chances on Saturday. 

Shryn will have three runners on the card.