Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Talented young reinsman Kyle Symington, who is awaiting to obtain a working visa to travel to America, has been engaged to drive smart four-year-old Caberneigh in the $30,000 Allwood Stud Farm Westbred Pace for four and five-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He will replace Madeliene Young, who drove the gelding to a superb all-the-way victory over Pocket The Change over 1730m last Friday night, rating 1.53.4 after flying straight to the front from out wide at barrier eight.
Symington got the chance to drive Caberneigh after Young decided to take four drives, Sugar Boo, Sweet Ivy, Headline Adda and Betty Boots Off, at the Bunbury meeting at Donaldson Park on Friday night.
Young’s elder sister Jocelyn is the registered trainer of Caberneigh, but she has been away in Sydney and Brisbane campaigning with the brilliant mare Steno in recent weeks, and during that time Symington has been assisting at her Ravenswood stable.
There is a strong possibility that Symington will use the gelding’s sparkling gate speed in a bid to burst to an early lead. However, Caberneigh is no certainty to get to the front ahead of noted speedy beginner and excellent frontrunner Our Sandy Shore, who will start from the coveted No. 1 barrier.
Our Sandy Shore, who is trained by Colin Brown and will be driven by his daughter Maddison, will be reappearing after a spell. The five-year-old who has an imposing record of nine wins and 12 placings from 33 starts, will be making her first appearance since she broke in running and was distanced behind Steno in the Group 3 Christmas Belles on December 20.
Our Sandy Shore rated 1.59.6 when she set the pace and won a 2150m trial at Byford last Saturday week, beating Im Spiderman by two lengths.
The 23-year-old Symington has driven with great skill to land 323 winners, and he has arranged to work in the New Jersey stables of former Queensland trainer Noel Daley. However, problems in gaining a visa are delaying the trip to America.
Symington is anxious gain further experience in the sport of harness racing by working for Daley, who was voted as the North American Dan Patch Trainer of the Year in 2024 when his horses earned $4.87 million.
Many of Daley’s winners have been driven by former outstanding Sydney reinsmen Andy and Todd McCarthy, with Todd in the sulky when Captain Albana won the prestigious Little Brown Jug in Delaware last September. Daley also prepared trotter Sig Sauer, who won the Group 1 Kentucky Futurity in October.