Castle Hill stands tall at Cluden Park

By Jordan Gerrans

Castle Hill dominates the Townsville skyline and a galloper named in its honour is making a similar impression on the race track.

Prepared by local horseman Terry McGovern, Castle Hill was a smart winner of the feature Pallarenda QTIS Two-Years-Old Maiden Plate on Sunday afternoon at Cluden Park to open the new two-year-old season in North Queensland.

Castle Hill is a popular landmark in the North Queensland city, with thousands of locals and tourists climbing it each year to enjoy the views of Townsville, including the Coral Sea and Magnetic Island.

So, when McGovern and his owners were naming their promising youngster, they thought the local monument would be a fitting choice for their gelding.

“A couple of the owners picked three names out and that was one of them. That's what he got,” McGovern said.

“Lee Stewart and Margaret Heslop, they've been a part of our team for a while. It was their turn to give one a name, so they drew the straw on that one.

“I think it was just that Castle Hill's a local icon in town and he's a big, strong, good-looking horse, so they went with Castle Hill.

“He's a very good-looking two-year-old, quite well-developed.”

The son of Barbaric lived up to his name with a striking performance over 1000 metres on Sunday, scoring by a length with Townsville jockey Peta Edwards in the saddle.

Despite Castle Hill’s promising trial at the track in early October, the young sprinter was unwanted in betting and jumped as a $21 shot.

While it was a special win for the trainer and owners, it was also an important triumph for veteran rider Edwards to nab a key feature victory.

The McGovern camp often uses experienced visiting riders such as Sean Cormack, but they showed faith by sticking with the local jockey.

Castle Hill's stablemate Bob's Kokopop finished fifth in the race. 

“I was very happy with the performance,” McGovern said.

“The other horse we had in the race, he's probably a little bit more mentally mature than Castle Hill, but Castle Hill's a little bit more physically mature than him and he put it together on the day.

“He's done everything right. We used Peta Edwards. She's been riding him trackwork and has a good rapport with the horse and that's why we went with the local jockey.

“And, obviously, having that little bit of experience on the horse definitely helped them both get the win on Sunday.

“Some of the hard work she puts in has paid off. She's been helping us with the trackwork and that's appreciated. So, you give them the opportunities like this and she capitalised on it.”

The 44-year-old McGovern has been training since late 2019, with Sunday's result a career highlight as he claimed the Pallarenda feature, a race that has been run in Townsville for decades.

The tide is turning for the stable after it posted 14 winners last season, its best tally in a single campaign.

After being snapped up for just $15,000, Castle Hill has already paid his way, and then some, for his loyal owners, who are mostly based across North Queensland.

“It means a lot to us,” McGovern said.

“We picked the horse out of the sales, broke him in ourselves and have done all the training with him from day one.

“So, to win a race like that, I think it says a lot and he's great for us. The support my wife gives me in what we do is just incredible. I wouldn't be able to be there on a day like that without her support.

“Castle Hill was actually passed in the ring at the sales. He had a couple of scratches on him going into the sales, he'd had an accident somewhere along the lines.

“So, he had a couple of bumps, bruises, scratches and dents on him.

“He was a good purchase. We could see past the few niggling things at the sales. We could see past those and I was happy with the purchase.

“We don't have a lot of expensive horses in the barn. We make the most of what we've got.”

McGovern is a farrier by trade and rode bulls in his younger years before turning his hand to training.

With the promising Mind Over Matter also in his team, the stable is moving in the right direction.

“Horsepower is a big thing and the stronger our stable becomes with the horsepower, the better the results are going to be,” he said.

“We're really working on that and having those babies coming through is definitely a bonus for us.”

Castle Hill will head for a quick break before the stable goes in search of a second career assignment for the gelding.