Age no barrier to 86yo’s feature hopes

At 86 years young, jovial South Australian harness racing trainer John Conry reckons it’s his horses that are keeping him fit and agile.

“When I wake up in the morning, I’ve got to get out there to do the feeds and the other chores—it just makes you get out of bed,” Conry said.

“You’re always walking here and there, as well as lifting things up, like the tailgate of the float. When you get into your eighties, you have to find an interest and keep active if you don’t want to go into aged care!”

And it’s a safe bet that Conry has an extra spring in his step this week after cheering home a debut win at Globe Derby Park with his first starter in over a year, and the only horse he has in training.

Two-year-old colt Star Man (Major Secret) led all-the-way to convincingly take out the first heat of the SA Botra Kindergarten Series.

Driven by evergreen Salisbury reinsman David Smith, Star Man scored by 10 metres from Tembie, with a further 13 metres back to Waitpinga Reactor in third place. The mile rate for the 1800m trip was a smart 1.59-1.

Star Man has been a progressive youngster since being purchased at last year’s SA Botra Yearling sale by Conry, who is based at Waterloo Corner, just outside Adelaide.

“He was one of only 12 lots which is a bit disappointing when you consider that at the gallops Magic Millions sale at Morphetville there was 354 lots,” he said.

“When I was looking through the catalogue, this fellow seemed to have potential. His sire Major Secret was a top 2yo himself. He was brilliant in winning a VicBred in Victoria and finished second in our sires here.

“Then later in his career he was winning in Victoria over distance. And the dam of Star Man in Kash was a good mare. She won at Albion Park up in Brisbane.

“I also thought that others through his pedigree were good. Some say it’s a bit of a chance taking the first foal, but when I saw him, I liked him. He was only a little fella and I picked him up after making just one bid.”

Conry, who has had horses all his life, began the process of breaking in the youngster himself, a task he admits was this time enjoyable.

“I’ve always said that while you can break them in, you can’t make them run. And if you get one that does run, it’s sheer luck,” he laughed.

“He was lovely to break-in and just wanted to do everything I asked of him. I’ve got a little track out in a paddock at home. I’ve only got three acres so when I need to fastwork, I go into Globe Derby which is 10 minutes away.

“I took him to the Gawler trials, and he qualified running fourth in 2.02. Two weeks later I went back there again, and we were in a trial against all-age and he won in 2.01.

“I thought that was good enough to put him in a race. He ended up starting the second top fancy at 7/1, but in the newspaper, I think he was the outsider of the field.

“He didn’t let me down and went really nice, breaking two minutes and winning pretty easy. He did get some extra carrots in his feed that night!”

Conry, who shod all his horses up until two years ago, had his share of success as a reinsman back in the day.

“I think I started out when I was 17. I drove at the old Wayville track in the 1960s and then kept going until the 1980s. I would have been 65 when I gave it up,” he said.

(Wayville raced on a tight 510-metre circuit until 1969, when the sport moved to Globe Derby Park at Bolivar.)

Conry has enjoyed training some capable horses including Red Reaver (five wins, 22 placings), Topoftheworld (five wins, 18 placings), Hardly A Grin (14 wins, 45 placings) and, most recently, Happy Max (two wins, 20 placings).

“The horses have always been a hobby thing with me because I was a public servant working as a building inspector. I would only have one horse at a time,” he said.

“I did have a top-class horse in Santa Choice who got down to free-for-all class. She was owned by Harold Blunt, from Blunts Homes. I remember a SA legend in the late Wally Bowyer saying if you got a good horse, you would win at Wayville—and that was so true.”

Santa Choice finished third in the South Australian Derby to Gyro and Dale’s Gift and also third in the rich Trotting Clubs Cup behind Fair Emperor.

“She ran a lot of placings, but just couldn’t win a feature race,”

Now, it’s Star Man’s turn to carry Conry’s hopes of that special win.

“We automatically go into the $15K final now in about two weeks. There’s two more heats, but my horse is only a little fella so I’ll probably miss next Saturday night,” Conry said.

“I’m very much enjoying having one back at the races and having one that can run a bit.

“I suppose I’m now just a horse person because I don’t play bowls or anything. I enjoy going to the trots and having a look on Monday afternoons—and I’ll keep doing what I’m doing while I’m fit and well,” said.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink