Campaign cut short as travel sickness claims horse

Successful country Victorian harness racing trainer Leroy O’Brien is without doubt from a tough school.

A planned six-month working holiday to be based at Menangle recently went horribly wrong.

“Everything went pear-shaped that’s for sure—but I’m back home in Armstrong (near Ararat) and I’ve got no regrets,” he said.

A day after his three horses arrived at Menangle a few weeks ago, three-year-old Im Sir Patrick, got seriously ill and died.

“I really couldn’t believe it because they all seemed to travel up well in a truck and they looked great when I met them to get them off,” O’Brien said.

“They all ate up but when I came back to the stables the next day, I knew something wasn’t right with Im Sir Patrick. I got the vet out and they told me the horse had travel sickness and he was in trouble.

“I was a bit in disbelief because, because I told them, he’d raced the previous Friday at Ararat and won. They did all they could for the horse, but he died 24 hours later.

Im Sir Patrick (Downbytheseaside) won three from 12 starts and made the final of the VicBred Super Series of his 2yo season.

“He was quite a nice horse, particularly when he was sitting on the speed,” O’Brien said.

“Another one I took up Rockin Gemma also got sick, but she’s okay now. I had the Oaks in mind for her and I’d picked out some suitable races for Im Sir Patrick too.”

O’Brien had only one race starter during the trip and thankfully his fortunes changed for the better with Fancy Free (Downbytheseaside) scoring in the Condell Park Produce Pace at Menangle on April 2.

Watch the race replay by clicking here.

O’Brien, 31, who turns his horses out in tip-top condition, is closing in on training his 50th career winner.

He won a Group Two race in 2017 when Imprincessgemma (Village Jolt) took out the VicBred Home Grown Classic for 2yo fillies.  Another he prepared, Im Sir Blake (Alta Christiano) was a winner of 14 races and $120,000 before being sold to USA, where he’s still chalking up victories.

“I was hoping to stay in Sydney for about six months. I thought it would be a good trip away with the horses and I’d do some shoeing work as well,” O’Brien said.

“But I’m back home, getting back to my shoeing and getting myself back on my feet. I’ve gone straight to having a dozen horses in work again,” he said.

“We’ve spent more money this year on buying youngsters and hopefully it works out – we’ve given ourselves a chance to have a crack. The trip didn’t pan out how I planned but in another 12 months I’d like to give it another shot and stay for a month.”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink