Motherhood adds new motivation to Allender’s Cup quest

By Jordan Gerrans

Krystin Allender began her training journey in 2019 with hopes of eventually tasting feature race glory, but her motivations have shifted in the years since.

Based at Innisfail after learning her trade in the game down in Victoria, the hard-working horsewoman shifted north with ambitions of building her own stable.

The 33-year-old Allender still wants to shoot for feature glory, as she will do this Saturday in the Cairns Cup, but she also knows now that she has a set of eyes watching her every move.

The up-and-coming trainer welcomed her son, Bailey, into the world not long after she launched her solo training career.

Now six years old and regularly following his beloved mother around at the track, Allender recognises that her determination as a horse trainer will eventually rub off on her impressionable son.

“Being a role model for Bailey is probably the biggest thing,” she said on Tuesday of this week at trackwork in Innisfail.

“If you really want something - which I do; I want to train a big stable of horses and I want to get the winners - you've got to keep going.

“You've got to get up every morning; you've got to do the hard yards.

“I think he's my biggest motivation, Bailey, showing him.

“He's been at the stables since he was three weeks old. I got back on my first horse three weeks postpartum and he's just been a huge part of it.

“He loves the horses, he's always happy to be here.”

In the seven years that Allender has been training in her own right in North Queensland, she has enjoyed regular success with a modest crop of gallopers.

In recent weeks, she has found a stable addition which has raised her stocks a level or two.

Veteran stayer That’s Molly was previously prepared by experienced mentor Lawrie Mayfield-Smith in Brisbane before he transferred north in the early stages of 2026.

The chestnut mare put in two encouraging efforts in her first two starts for the Innisfail team in July and August before producing a barnstorming effort to finish second in the Townsville Cup earlier this month.

Ridden by apprentice Fiona Sandkuhl, That’s Molly went close to pinching one of the great upsets in the NQ feature staying event.

The team of That’s Molly, Sandkuhl and Allender are all back together this Saturday at Cairns’ Cannon Park with hopes of snaring the $150,000 Cairns Cup.

Allender is yet to win a race with more than $25,000 in prizemoney, so it is fair to say a victory on Saturday from That’s Molly would be a career-high point.

And, if they are to salute, young Bailey will be there alongside his mum.

“The Mum guilt sets in, getting him up early of a morning when I need to come to the track,” she said.

“Mostly he stays asleep, which is good, but he still loves it. He still loves coming in.

“He never complains about it. He loves it when we get a win. Just showing him that hard work pays off in the end is my goal with him.

“It's difficult. It’s very difficult, but if you really want something in life, you always find a way to make it work. It doesn't matter how hard it is.

“Most of the time he comes to the races.

“He loves coming to the races, especially Innisfail races. Last weekend he was very excited when we won the first race. He screamed louder than anyone.”

That’s Molly was running through the line in the Townsville Cup, which was contested over 2000 metres.

With the Cairns Cup run over 2100 metres, there is every expectation the eight-time career winner will appreciate the extra distance.

“To me, it almost felt like we'd won the race,” she said.

“It was a thrill to even have a horse good enough to be in the race. It’s our first ever feature race.

“And, for her to run such a good race and almost win it, I was pretty emotional. I was shaking for quite some time afterwards.”

Innisfail Turf Club president Vince Cooper has watched Allender slowly develop her team over the years and says she deserves a shot at the big-time.

“She’s very dedicated,” Cooper said.

“She’s here up at five in the morning and you don't see her leaving until after eight or nine o'clock.

“She’s getting a bit of value out of that now. It's great. She actually showed me and I listened to the race in Townsville; I was standing there with goose pimples on my arms.

“I tell you what, what a thrill. Even running second. I'm really happy for her.

“She’s done really well, it is exciting for all of us racing people, especially for the owners of the horse.

“A lot of them are new owners, that's really great.”

The first day of the Cairns leg of the Northern Queensland Winter Racing Carnival was dominated by Mackay horseman Lachie Manzelmann last Saturday as he claimed all three feature events on offer.

Cairns Jockey Club General Manager Sarah Campbell is hopeful some of the big prizemoney on offer can remain local this week.

The feature $100,000 Cairns Newmarket will be run on Friday before the Cup program the following day.

“It's really important for the industry, we need more horses, we need more owners and everything like that,” Campbell said.

“So, when we can have a local win the major race, it is good. I think for the Cup, it'd be great to see one of our locals taking it home.”

As well as her Cairns Cup contender, Allender will also head to Townsville Turf Club on Sunday with two runners.

She has Grovers Prediction in the Benchmark 55 Handicap over 1000 metres while Stable Investment tackles the QTIS Three-Year-Old and Four-Year-Old Handicap over the same trip.

On top of running her stable and parenting, Allender works part-time in several roles in NQ while studying an online business management course through Monash University.