Hughes plotting 2027 carnival assault with Burraneer Buoy

By Jordan Gerrans

Veteran Townsville conditioner Graham Hughes has flagged a tilt at the 2027 Northern Queensland Winter Racing Carnival with Burraneer Buoy after a stellar 2025-26 season. 

Despite being one of the form horses on the provincial circuit in the Sunshine State last season, Hughes kept his powder dry with the seven-year-old during the carnival.

The son of Denman won seven races for the Cluden Park trainer during the 2025-26 campaign to be crowned the Provincial Horse of the Year at the 2026 Queensland Thoroughbred Awards on Sunday night in Brisbane.

After a long campaign, which led to the state-wide prize, the 71-year-old opted to spell Burraneer Buoy during the carnival.

He believes the break will do him wonders.

“I think he could be a Cairns Newmarket or Cleveland Bay horse,” Hughes said.

“He could possibly get a bit further, but he's won most of his races over 1400 metres.

“But, I think he could go further. If I keep him fresh, Cairns Newmarket is a hard 1400 metre race.

“But, he'd been up a fair while, that's why I didn't go to the carnivals this year.”

Hughes is a long-standing member of the NQ training ranks and knows what it takes to win a race such as Townsville’s coveted sprint, the Cleveland Bay Handicap.

He won the time-honoured race with Prince Lonely in 1981.

Comeback rider Ivo Fry has struck a close partnership with Burraneer Buoy and played a significant role in his form, which led to the gong on Sunday night.

Fry, who won the Cairns Cup on Saturday, won aboard Hughes’ galloper on six occasions.

“Graham and myself, we’ve had a pretty good partnership and Burraneer Buoy has been a top horse,” Fry said.

“We get along really well. He’s a beautiful old horse and he did a terrific job. I’m looking forward to when he comes back. They’ve been really good to me over the last 12 months.”

Burraneer Buoy has risen through the ranks sharply over the last year to put himself in contention for a state-wide award, as well as gunning for carnival honours in 2027.

He arrived from Todd Howlett in New South Wales and finished back in the field in a Class 3 Plate in early August of last year. 

Just a few months later, Burraneer Buoy was rattling off victories in two Open Handicaps and a Benchmark 70 Handicap.

“It's not a real heavily environment where he is,” the trainer said.

“He has a free paddock and he's a quite lovely horse. He's settled in pretty well there. Ivo Fry rides him in all his work.

“He's won six out of seven on him. They get on well and Ivo knows him well. They all come together. He just kept winning and climbing the classes.”

Hughes has picked up a few smart horses from the Howlett camp over the years and is glad he agreed to take on Burraneer Buoy.

“He's pretty good up there, it's not as easy as you think to win up there,” Hughes said.

“I buy a lot off Todd Howlett. He's a great fella, a great mate. He said he might win a couple up there.

“Up there in North Queensland, you don't have the Snowdens and Bjorn Bakers coming to your country meetings. Although he's been provincial, he just got better and better.

“He seemed to love the climate. He's a lovely horse, a lovely big, strong horse, which helps. He can carry a bit of weight.

“Todd usually gives me a ring when he thinks one would be good for up there. When he rang, I said, ‘We'll take him.’ He wasn't a dear buy.”

The Howlett partnership has been an outstanding one for Hughes in recent times, with the trainer also picking up horses such as White Arendelle, Gold Sluice, Toranaga and Canny Prospect.

Despite winning seven races during the 2025-26 term with his star sprinter, Hughes admits he was shocked to receive the honour on Sunday evening.

“It's a little bit of a surprise because he's done his racing in Queensland at Cairns and Townsville,” he said.

“Provincial means Caloundra and other tracks, where there is very strong racing.

“He has been a good horse. He had 13 starts for seven wins.

“All awards are good. It's the same as a win. It doesn't matter if the win is in Bedourie or whatever. You get a great thrill.”

The long-time NQ industry member is still enjoying his training and has as big a team in work now as he has had in recent times.

“I love doing it,” he said.

“That’s why I've been doing it for 52 years. My wife wants me to exercise. I said if I'm going to do that, I might as well get a few more horses. I love doing that.

“I hate exercising. Plus, I love it. I've been in Townsville all the time. 

"I've seen changes, it's a pretty good environment.”