Mentors inspire Reedy's training journey

By Glenn Davis

When Ashtyn Reedy reflects on her fledgling career, the rookie trainer’s attention turns to two men: her father, Paul, and fellow Toowoomba trainer Kevin Kemp.

Reedy started off in showjumping and worked for several years with Kemp, who has famously won four Listed Weetwood Handicaps on his home track.

Her father, Paul, has been her main supporter, owns shares in all six horses in her stable and is a board member of the Toowoomba Turf Club.

The 27-year-old Reedy launched her training career two years ago after taking advice from Kemp, who she still works for as a stable hand.

“Kevin taught me everything I know from feeding horses to working them,” Reedy said.

“I’ve worked for him for about eight years and he was the one who encouraged me to start training on my own.”

Reedy is off to a flying start in her training career and saddled 46 runners for seven wins and 11 placings for a 15.2% strike-rate in the past 12 months.

She is hopeful her strike-rate will improve when she takes stable favourite Butt Heads to Warwick on Tuesday for the Class 4 Handicap over 1100 metres.

It will be a family affair as Reedy’s father and mother, Yvette, own Butt Heads, who was previously trained in Toowoomba by Michael G Nolan.

“Dad has been great since I started training and he has shares in every horse in the stable,” Reedy said.

“Butt Heads was trained by Michael Nolan, but when he lost form Dad sent him to me to train.”

A five-year-old son of Easy Rocking, Butt Heads has started 25 times for four wins and nine placings.

Reedy trained him in two of his four wins at Toowoomba late last year.

Butt Heads has started only once this campaign when he finished sixth, beaten less than four lengths, by Thundering Soul in a 1050 metre Benchmark race at Toowoomba on July 18.

“He’s been going well and he has a good record second-up, so he should be competitive,” Reedy said.

“It was too short for him first-up and he was up in class.

“He’s back in grade at Warwick and it’s a more suitable race for him.”

Butt Heads won his only start at Warwick in February last year and has started four times second-up for a win and two seconds.