Blue Kentucky Moon set for another win for Green

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Graeme Green is confident his new association with owner and breeder Helen Yeates can continue when Blue Kentucky Moon steps up to an Open Handicap race for the first time at Rockhampton on Friday.

Yeates owns a boutique breeding property at Crows Nest near Toowoomba and has had horses with Green for only 12 months.

“I’ve got 18 horses in work and 26 on the books and 11 of them are owned by Helen,” Green said.

“Helen has only had horses with me for about a year but we’ve had a lot of success so far.”

Blue Kentucky Moon has won two of his three starts for Green since Yeates moved him on from his previous trainer Michael Morrison.

The six-year-old is in his second preparation with Green after being forced to the paddock for a mandatory three-month break following a minor bleed.

“He won his second start for me at Rockhampton and I noticed he had a slight bleed after track work one day so I reported it and sent him to the paddock for three months,” Green said.

“Since he’s come back he won well first-up at Emerald last month.

“I think he’s a fair horse and he’ll be hard to beat at his first open company start.”

Warwick Satherley has been booked to ride Blue Kentucky Moon on Friday. 

Green believes Blue Kentucky Moon could soon be headed back to Brisbane if he continues to progress.

“We’ll keep him here for a while but I’m pretty sure he’ll end up back in Brisbane,” Green said.

“He’s a nice horse and is very fast but I think 1100 and 1200 metres will pull him up.”

Green has four starters at Callaghan Park on Friday.

They include Blue Kentucky Moon’s younger half-brother Desert Moon in the Benchmark 55 Handicap and debutants Astra Star and Outback Bandit in the male’s division of the QTIS Breeders Plate.

“Astra Star is a very nice horse by Cosmic Force and cost $90,000 at the Magic Millions January sale on the Gold Coast,” Green said.

“He won a barrier trial easily but I think he will make a better three-year-old than two-year-old.

“Outback Bandit is by Encryption and was placed in a barrier trial. He shows a lot of potential but he’s very immature.”