Kendrick hopes to break Sunshine Coast Cup drought

By Glenn Davis

Caloundra trainer Stuart Kendrick has been a dominant force on his home track for the past decade but will be looking to add his name to the Sunshine Coast Cup honour board for the first time on Saturday.

Kendrick has won the last 10 trainers’ premierships at Caloundra and is hoping former Sydneysider Hollywood North can give him an overdue win in the 1400 metre Listed feature.

“He’s having his first start in open company but it looks a winnable race as it’s not overly strong,” Kendrick said.

“I had booked Bailey Wheeler to ride him but he’s not riding at the Sunshine Coast.”

Martin Harley has since been booked to ride. 

Hollywood North has been in Kendrick’s care for only three starts and will be chasing a hat-trick of wins at his fourth appearance for the stable.

The five-year-old gelding was previously trained by Chris Waller before Kendrick purchased him for $35,000 at an Inglis online auction.

“He wasn’t expensive and he had good form around some nice horses but he wasn’t quite up to the Sydney class,” Kendrick said.

“He’s done a good job for me and if he happens to win he might be a nice horse for the Glasshouse Handicap at the end of the winter carnival.

“I’ve never won this race so hopefully I can change it this year.

“I don’t know if I’ve had many runners in this race but it’s a race which is becoming more popular each year.”

Kendrick had Hollywood North geared up to make his stable debut earlier than when he debuted with a close-up fifth in a Benchmark race at Eagle Farm on December 9.

“He trialled well for the first time for me back in June last year but he strained a muscle over his rump so we gave him a freshen up and he came back into work and won a trial here in November,” Kendrick said.

A son of Golden Slipper winner Vancouver, Hollywood North was a dominant winner at his second start for Kendrick in a Class 4 Handicap at the Sunshine Coast on Boxing Day last year.

He then stepped up to city class and finished powerfully to win a 1350 metre Class 6 Handicap at Doomben on January 10.

The Sunshine Coast Cup has been a graveyard for local trainers with the Darryl Hansen-trained Balboa Rocks the only local winner back in 2019 since the race was first run as the Summer Cup in 2005.

The training partnership of Steven O'Dea and Matthew Hoysted have won the last two Sunshine Coast Cups with Scallopini in 2022 and last year with Chaillot.

O'Dea and Hoysted don’t have a runner this year.