Impardoo cherry ripe for Mareeba

By Glenn Davis

When Cairns conditioner Alwyn Bailey is not mowing the local football field or dabbling in breeding cattle as a hobby, he’s doing what he does best - training thoroughbreds.

Bailey has a team of 15 horses in work in the state’s Far North in Cairns and is assisted around the stables by sons Andrew and Bodine.

“I’ve got 15 in work at the moment but Overlord will be coming back into work soon along with Noble Attack who they think is better than Herne Hill who has won two of his three starts for me since coming up from Sydney,” Bailey said.

Bailey heads to Mareeba on the Atherton Tablelands on Thursday with three starters and expects the trio to be hard to beat.

Former Victorian Impardoo spearheads the stable’s charge in the Benchmark 60 Handicap while support runners My Artie tackles the Benchmark 55 Handicap and Assymetry lines up in the Benchmark 50 Handicap.

Bailey is hopeful Impardoo can bounce back to winning form after finishing third to Inching Closer in a 1200 metre Open Handicap at Innisfail on December 14.

“It takes a couple of runs for Impardoo to come right and he’s had two runs back now and is just about cherry ripe,” Bailey said.

“He’s been a reasonably handy horse since he came to me about a year ago and has won four for me.

“He’ll be hard to beat and is above average but he’s no world beater and is a good bread and butter horse for us."

Impardoo’s last victory for the stable was three starts back when successful over 1250 metres on his home track at Cannon Park in late August.

Bailey believes My Artie can improve on his last start fourth in a 1250 metre Benchmark race at Cairns last Tuesday.

“He was caught a little wide and it’s a big ask to do that on that track with the new sand on it,” Bailey said.

“It was only the second meeting since they renovated the track."

Meanwhile, Bailey is hoping the booking of Chelsea Jokic on Assymetry will be a plus with last start rider Lacey Morrison sidelined with injury.

“He seems to go best for female riders and he’ll race well again after winning at Atherton last start,” he said.