Thangool Cup lures Sinclair back home

By Glenn Davis

Rockhampton trainer Kale Sinclair is hopeful of a happy homecoming when he tackles the Thangool Cup on Saturday with consistent mare Holy Crown.

Sinclair has been training since the 2022-23 campaign and his biggest scalp so far was with Take The Lead in last year’s Gladstone Cup.

Unfortunately, Take The Lead just missed making it back-to-back Gladstone Cups in this year’s edition when the eight-year-old gelding finished third to the Gary Teal-trained Three Gongs last month.

Holy Crown is coming off a last start eighth behind the Clinton Taylor-trained Woodstock Rock in a 1300 metre Class 3 Handicap at Rockhampton on August 21.

“We hoped she would sit midfield but somehow she was up front outside the leaders,” Sinclair said.

Sinclair will take great pride if the five-year-old daughter of Hallowed Crown can cause an upset.

She is now raced by a bunch of Thangool mates who are first-time clients of Sinclair despite knowing him for several years.

“They’re all from Thangool and it’ll be awesome if she can win for them,” Sinclair said.

“A win will be more for the local boys in the horse.”

Local publican Phil Casey, who runs The Red Steer pub in Thangool, is one of her owners along with Carolyn Stewart and Matthew and Chris Muller.

“I’ve known them all for a few years when I trained at Thangool for about two years before I moved to Rockhampton,” Sinclair said.

“I used to work in the mines before I gave it away and worked for a while building sheds and taking on training.

“I only started training full-time three years ago and I only have four in work.”

Holy Crown is one of the lower rated horses in the 1400 metre feature but Sinclair is hopeful his mare can overcome the odds.

Sinclair has booked apprentice Amie Meissner to partner Holy Crown who was a $5,000 buy from the Paula Barron stable on the Gold Coast.

Meissner is in her second stint as an apprentice.

She kicked off her riding career in Rockhampton last year before giving it away and relocating to her hometown in Thangool.

Meissner is currently striking at more than 21% with 14 wins from 66 rides.