Royes and Hedley eye Cup glory

By Glenn Davis

Steven Royes is hoping to repay owner Tom Hedley for helping launch his successful Townsville training career when he saddles his first-ever starters in the Cairns Amateur Cup at Cannon Park on Saturday.

Royes, who finished second to Georgie Holt in the Townsville trainers’ premiership last season, will saddle Sigiriya Rock and Bluebird Bay in the 1900 metre feature.

Hedley, who co-owns both gallopers, is arguably North Queensland’s biggest owner and has numerous horses in work with a number of rival trainers.

Royes has 16 horses in training in Townsville, 10 of which are owned by Hedley.

“I’m hoping he can win for Tom as he’s one of the best,” Royes said.

“He helped start me off when I came to train in Townsville about three years ago.”

Royes was a hobby trainer with a secure job working as a supervisor in the Mount Isa mines when he took the biggest gamble of his life and walked away to take up training full-time in Townsville.

With a wife and young family in tow, Royes headed to the North Queensland coast to improve his family’s quality of life and schooling.

Sigiriya Rock – a Lacey Morrison mount – is yet to win in three starts for Royes after Hedley bought him from champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller.

The five-year-old raced mostly in Victoria, but was sold after winning two of his 15 starts interstate.

A son of Alabama Express, Sigiriya Rock is coming off a last-start second to the Janel Ryan-trained Choir Boy in the 1800 metre Banana Cup at Innisfail last Saturday.

“It was a very good run as another horse went through the pack and didn’t do him any favours,” Royes said.

“But, the winner was too good for us on the day. It was only his third run back from a break and he needed the run.”

Royes admits he is unsure how Sigiriya Rock will cope with the seven-day turnaround.

“It’s not ideal backing up, but if he handles it, he’ll be hard to beat,” he said.

Royes is in a similar dilemma with Bluebird Bay, who is backing up after finishing fifth to the Tony Comerford-trained Intruder in a 1609 metre Benchmark race at Townsville on Tuesday.

“It was a good run and I’m not sure how he’ll go backing up, but he pulled up well from Tuesday’s run and he’s in very well at the weights,” Royes said.

Royes, who has booked Nathan Thomas for Bluebird Bay, is searching for his first win of the new season.