Life's a beach for Kenning in Townsville

By Jordan Gerrans

It is nearly three decades since Bill Kenning tasted Townsville Cup glory as a rider and all these years on, he is sticking to the same methods as a trainer as he aims to finally nab the feature prize. 

It was Kiwi-bred galloper Only Chance who delivered him the major Cluden Park prize as a jockey back in 1997 with his partner Julie Bell doing the training.

Only Chance also won the Listed Rockhampton Cup and Tatt's Cup at Callaghan Park in that season. 

Plenty of water has gone under the bridge since then approaching the 2025 Cup, with Kenning listed as the trainer these days with Bell his trusted offsider still.

Kenning has long been shooting to add a training Townsville Cup prize to his resume alongside his crown as a jockey.  

In those days, Kenning and Bell were regulars at the beach in Central and North Queensland with Only Chance. 

They present to the $150,000 feature this Saturday with the in-form Beau Rain.

Asked to compare Beau Rain with Cup champion Only Chance, Kenning can see two similarities. 

Firstly, the two gallopers are not bred to run a staying trip but as the top horseman says, horses do not know who their parents are.

And, secondly, they both love the beach. 

“I am a big believer in them going to the beach and that seems to settle them down,” he said.

“It makes them run a bit of a trip and he has gone that way, Beau Rain.

“Only Chance, I was in Yeppoon and Rockhampton in those days, and he went to the beach and soon after, he turned the corner and he went that way.

“There are similarities there between the two. I have good memories, way back then in 1997.

“My partner trained and owned him, so it was a pretty good outlook for the camp back then, owning, training and riding him. All the money came back into our own kitty.”

While Beau Rain goes into Saturday’s Cup as a live hope, there are still big question marks over his credentials.

He has only won up to 1609 metres, which he did last Saturday afternoon in an Open Handicap.

Top provincial jockey Ashley Butler did the steering on Saturday as Beau Rain justified his short quote to score from a tricky barrier.

The five-year-old won the local Guineas at Cluden Park in the middle of last year over the same trip.

Beau Rain has never been tested over further than 1609 metres.

The son of Sidestep is bred to race over seven furlongs but canny old conditioner Kenning thinks the Cup trip should be no worries this Saturday on the big stage.

“It was a good run and it was just a gallop for the Townsville Cup really,” Kenning said of Beau Rain’s win just seven days before the Cup itself. 

“He won; he probably didn’t beat a stellar bunch, but he won. I thought he would win easier than he did but when you win, you cannot complain. 

“He will be spot on now. If he is ever going to run 2000 metres and the Cup trip, it will be this week.

“He has decided he wanted to stick on a bit with his races and we have gone on with that.”

Butler had the riding assignment last Saturday, but it will be Tolga horsewoman Lacey Morrison who will get the nod in the time-honoured Cup.

Morrison – who won the Cleveland Bay last year – will need to contend with an outside gate in the Cup feature.

Beau Rain has had an intriguing career as a galloper in North Queensland.

He started as a boom two-year-old as he won three on the trot to begin his career over 1000 metres.

“He is not a really good doer, so we just play along, steady, steady,” the top trainer said.

“It was three weeks between runs before he came out and won the other day.

“He will back-up this week into the Cup, which should suit him spot on.

“He probably won’t press on to Cairns following Saturday’s Cup, but we have a few options with him.”

If Beau Rain is to show he can run a Cup trip, Kenning says he may consider heading to the city for a no metro wins event or he could head to the paddock for a break. 

Kenning was a popular jockey when he rode around South East Queensland before his career turned north up the coast.

He enjoyed success in town and competed in black-type races before settling in NQ alongside Bell.

Approaching 70 years of age, Kenning says he is still loving preparing his small team of gallopers alongside Bell.

“Without Julie, I would be buggered as she does more than I do,” he said.

“She rides work down the beach, as well, it is a good set-up and we work well together.

“I still ride work and if I couldn’t do that, I am not sure if I would want to keep doing it. We are enjoying it.

“We just muck around with half a dozen or so horses now and we are enjoying it big-time.”

Beau Rain is raced by long-time Kenning and Bell stable supporter Adele Kiernan who the trainer says he would dearly love to win a major race for. 

The stable started Roweiner's Dance and Northern Express in last week’s Townsville Lightning with neither sprinter figuring in the finish. 

Kenning will also have stablemates Kidston and Bubbles'n'froth run on Saturday's Cluden card.