Third $10k QBRED bonus this season for Kendall

By Duane Ranger

It’s no wonder the Moreton Bay health researcher Melissa Kendall loves Racing Queensland.

The 49-year-old nailed her third $10,000 QBRED bonus in eight months at Redcliffe Paceway on June 17.

It was a huge training effort by Kendall, who conditions a team of 12 at Toorbul with her husband Phil Chappenden and her driving son, Zac Chappenden.

They bought Holdingno Currency on June 25 last year as a 4YO and older QBRED-eligible pacer. 

It was a gamble considering the Western Terror gelding had only won one race from 54 starts; that was for his previous trainer-driver, Lola Weidemann, at Tamworth on December 6, 2018.

Fast forward to Wednesday’s 5.5 metre win as the $2.25 favourite in race eight, and Holdingno Currency has now won two of his four starts this season and placed second and fourth in the other two.

He nailed $10,000 for that first win in Queensland and $2,882 for his winning stake; not bad for a $1,500 purchase, who was bred by the Brisbane Pastoral Company.

“We’ve always liked him, Zac drove him very well and he has driven him since January 2019,” Kendall said.

“He’s a crazy little thing, and so hyperactive, but has rapidly escalated to the top of the pecking order in our stable now, but Sunday’s Redcliffe winner, Mister Hart (16 wins), is still the quickest.

“He had nine months off, which obviously did him the world of good.

“He’s got a few tricks all right, if there’s other horses running about the paddock he has to join in and do his laps as well.

“Early on he was very hard to manage, we couldn’t even get him to score up - then he kicked a gate and suffered bone chips.”

Kendall had Holdingno Currency scanned and instead of having him operated on, they allowed him to recover via slower conservative methods.

“Our vet, Mark McGarry was brilliant and I would never go to anyone else,” Kendall said.

“Because we didn’t operate on him, we just did what Mark said and built the horse up very slowly.

“We trialled him at Redcliffe on May 20 where he ran a nice second, and then won the following week first-up on the same track.

“We were delighted, being patient has paid off.”

Training is a family affair and Kendall said her husband Phil also played a large part in the memorable win.

Kendall ‘s previous QBRED $10,000 wins came via Tuesday’s Courage at Redcliffe on January 23, and Wild About Town at Redcliffe Paceway on October 16 last year.

“It’s just so good that Racing Queensland remembers everyone and not just the two and three-year-olds,” Kendall said.

“It’s great to think that older horses like this fella can still win a five figure bonus.

“Racing Queensland needs to be applauded, we bought this gelding with the QBRED bonus scheme in mind - it just makes it viable to race older horses.

“That’s our third one this season and it just means that we can keep racing on and keep supporting harness racing in the State.”

It was a splendid drive from her son, Zac.

He drew six and not long after the start eased the five-year-old to the rear where they found themselves three-deep on the markers.

About 400 metres into the 2,040m mobile, Chappenden had Holdingno Currency beautifully situated in the one-one.

With slick moves like that it’s not hard to see why the 17-year-old was recently crowned the 2020 Botra Queensland Young Drivers’ Champion.

The duo loomed up three wide on the far turn and then ran away under a hold, stopping the clock in 2:37.7 (mile rate 2:04.4) with sectionals of 33.5, 32.6, 30.2, and 28.8.

“That was a lovely drive and he seemed to do it quite easily, he might be back in again at Albion Park on Thursday,” Kendall said.

Kendall says she is a hobby trainer who works for Queensland Health as a researcher at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, where she specialises in spinal injury and brain injury rehabilitation.