Howley riding into Flemington station with his talented Highland Harley
As the one-time private trainer for owner Lloyd Williams, Liam Howley is no stranger to Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) day but today signals an important step in the trajectory of the Victorian horseman now firmly on the path to establishing his own racing identity.
The Kyneton-based trainer, who was a key member of the Macedon Lodge team overseen by Williams and his son Nick for about nine years before branching out on his own last year, will start Highland Reel’s (Galileo) first runner in Australia, two-year-old colt Highland Harley, in the Maribyrnong Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m).
Three-year-old stablemate Station One (Toronado), who landed a long-priced betting plunge to win his maiden on debut at Cranbourne on Friday night over 1600 metres, could also back up in the TAB Trophy (Listed, 1800m) such is the opinion Howley has of the gelding.
Given Howley’s association with Williams, the most successful owner in Melbourne Cup history having won it seven times, Howley hopes Highland Harley can help ensure he is not pigeon-holded as just a trainer of stayers.
“I would have said all day long that he is a three-year-old, but he’s just so forward mentally and physically,” Howley told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday.
“He’s got good speed about him, he looks a picture and, with supportive owners, I am happy to run him, so we will have a crack.”
The trainer has given the colt three jump–outs, the most recent a winning one against two rivals at Geelong, which convinced him to send him to the races.
“They went nearly 700 metres there and he was out wide on the track. He is certainly fit and that is something we are trying to make as a trademark for our horses, they are hard fit, but he hasn’t been pushed to get here.
“He impressed me that day when he put himself there (outside the lead).”
Howley purchased Highland Harley at this year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale for $100,000. His breeder’s Mark Dawson and Peter Beretta, who owned the colt’s dam Lady Of Sorrento (Dubawi) until selling her online earlier this year for just $6,500 to Spyglass Bloodstock, retained 50 per cent of the colt.
“(Agent) Andy Williams and I are good mates, so we sat down (before Premier) wanting to try and get some two-year-olds into the stable to send a bit of a message to the marketplace. We had the conversation to get some early types,” Howley said.
“We put together a shopping list but I strayed from that list and bought him (instead) because he was the horse I liked. He was my sort of horse. He was probably more of a European–style build to him and thought he’d be a three-year-old all day long but he took off after he was broken-in.
“He thickened and grew beautifully, then he came back in and hasn’t turned a hair. Mark Dawson and Peter Beretta bred him and stayed in him for 50 per cent, which made him nice and easy to sell and we sold him pretty quickly.”
Howley believes Highland Harley will eventually get out in distance, more in the shape of his star sire Highland Reel, a seven-time Group 1 winner, who also ran third in the 2015 Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m), the first of four won by Winx (Street Cry).
“If we can get a bit of black type at this stage, from a stallion point of view, (it would be fantastic) as Adam Sangster and the Swettenham team have been great supporters of mine. It is a bit of honour to have the first Highland Reel runner in the country,” he said.
“(The horse) hasn’t given me an excuse to tip him out and the race has come at the right time for him. Win, lose or draw he’ll go to the paddock afterwards. He’ll get out over ground, he’s got good length to him, a relaxed action, so I can see him as a mile, ten-furlong horse in time. He’s young and very, very athletic.”
Howley’s association with Swettenham Stud does not end with Highland Harley as Sangster is the breeder of Station One, a horse the trainer believes can develop into a Derby horse in the autumn.
Station One, who was backed in from double figure odds to start $5 and win by two and a half lengths at Cranbourne, lived up to the trainer’s expectations last week, prompting him to continue the plan to tackle Listed grade just four days later.
“He’s come through it really well, but we will make the call at the death. I’ll do a bit of work with him (this) morning, let him stretch his legs,” Howley said.
“He’s had a couple of days in the paddock to freshen up. He is up and about and won’t shy away from taking his place.”
Howley had designs on last Saturday’s Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) but he will have to wait until next year to test the son of Swettenham Stud shuttler Toronado (High Chaparral) over a staying trip.
“Early doors he was really immature, both physically and mentally. He went shinsore a couple of times, so we took our time with him, but right from day one he showed he could really gallop, it was just a matter of putting it all together.
“I was happy to put my reputation on the line Friday morning and say, ‘righto, I think we can have a go here’ and he duly saluted.”
Howley added: “There’s not too many options for him, so we might give him a break (after today) and I’d love to get him to the Derby in Sydney as I think he’s that sort of horse.
“I had dreamed all the way along of running him in the Derby on Saturday. I thought he was the right style of horse. He’s so relaxed, with a lovely big action and he’s got a turn of foot about him, but mentally he didn’t come to hand in time to get a run into him.
“Hopefully, in the autumn with a break under his belt, we can be somewhere thereabouts.”