Battle Of The Bush mission for Age Of Innocence

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Nick Walsh will have next year’s Battle Of The Bush Final on his mind when former Victorian Age Of Innocence attempts to maintain her unbeaten Queensland record at Rockhampton on Tuesday.

Age Of Innocence, a Ryan Wiggins mount, will be shooting for five straight wins for Walsh in the Benchmark 65 Handicap over 1200 metres.

Walsh took over training the daughter of Kiss And Make Up from Lloyd Kennewell after owner Clarry Hermann bought her for $22,000.

The four-year-old won her first Queensland start at Rockhampton’s Callaghan Park in early April and won twice in Mackay before a first-up win in a 1200 metre Class 4 race at Rockhampton on August 30.

Walsh accepted with Age Of Innocence at a subsequent Mackay meeting last month before scratching her from the event. 

“Her first-up win was very good but I wasn’t 100 per cent happy with her for Mackay so I decided to wait another week,” Walsh said.

“She was still a bit dour after winning at Rockhampton, but she’s fine now.”

Walsh ran out of time to qualify Age Of Innocence for the Country Stampede Final at Doomben on December 3 and will now focus on the Battle Of The Bush Final at Eagle Farm in June.

“You need to start in five country races and we couldn’t get that into her for the Country Stampede,” he said.

“There’s a chance she could still go to Brisbane but I think we might push on to some of the bush races and get her eligible for the Battle Of The Bush Final at Eagle Farm in June.”

Walsh has only been training for about two years and has a 50 per cent winning strike rate this season with five wins and three placings from 10 starters.

Walsh, who works full time as a salesman for a steel distribution company in Rockhampton, believes Age Of Innocence’s task has been made easier following the scratching of the Ricky Vale-trained Patrolling.

Patrolling had won two of his four starts for Vale since being moved on from Sydney trainer Joe Pride but his scratching along with the Liam Birchley-trained Brockie leaves only a small field of six.

“My filly goes well but she’s not very big so I have to keep her fresh,” Walsh said.

“I did rate Patrolling as our biggest danger but he’s not running now."