Bailey has Stampede in sight

By Glenn Davis

Young Cairns trainer Bodine Bailey has his eyes on the big prize in the $105,000 Country Stampede Final in Brisbane in December.

Bailey has only been training for just over a year and is yet to win a country feature in the state’s north.

However, Bailey hopes that could soon change if Impardoo wins the Country Stampede qualifier at Gordonvale on Saturday.

Impardoo has won seven of his 14 starts since the former Victorian joined Bailey’s stables 12 months ago.

“He came to me in great shape from my father (Alwyn Bailey) about a year ago,” Bailey said.

“I’ve been training for a tick over a year and if he wins at Gordonvale, he’ll definitely go to Brisbane for the Final. That’s the target.

“It’s a race I’ve had planned for him for a long time and more than likely the Country Stampede Final will be his last race before I retire him.

“He’s only retiring because it’s become too hard to place him up here.”

Bailey, who works full-time as a plumber, has booked his partner Lacey Morrison to ride Impardoo.

The 24-year-old conditioner lives at Gordonvale, but has eight horses in work in Cairns and is happy with his progress after his first year of training.

“It’s only about a 20-minute drive to the stables in Cairns and things are going well,” Bailey said.

“I had a winner recently at Atherton with a giveaway horse called Sweet Candy.

“Impardoo is going great and I think he’s ready to win.”

Impardoo has started only twice in his current campaign, finishing seventh to the Lachie Manzelmann-trained Cochrane in the Cairns Lightning on August 22 before a last start fourth in a 1000 metre Open Handicap at Townsville on September 8.

“He reared up and missed the kick both times in the Lightning and in Townsville,” Bailey said.

“He wouldn’t have beaten Cochrane in the Lightning had he jumped cleanly, but he would have run second and he should have won in Townsville.

“He’s a very tricky horse to ride even in trackwork, but Lacey knows the key to him.”

Bailey rates the Trevor and Peter Rowe-trained Yes Dream as the main threat to Impardoo.

The eight-year-old Yes Dream has rediscovered his best form and is chasing a hat-trick of wins after saluting at Mareeba before claiming a Country Stampede qualifier at Ewan on September 25.