Trainer Aiden St Vincent plots winning Lismore hat-trick to launch new racing season

Trainer Aiden St Vincent can kick off the season with a potential hat-trick when he heads from Coffs Harbour to Lismore on Monday for the seven-race card.

Trainer Aiden St Vincent is confident Golden Dubai can run well on Monday

MULTIPLE Highway winning trainer Aiden St Vincent opens his 2024/25 season at Lismore on Monday with a real shot at bagging his first hat-trick of racing’s new calendar year.

St Vincent saddles-up last start winner Wee Kahuna as well as the ‘gear adjusted’ Golden Dubai before coming home with the blue-blooded mare A Notion in the last.

A Notion, a daughter of So You Think who counts Pierro as a relative, could be St Vincent’s best chance of the trio given her current state of health and wellbeing.

“I put her in the sand-roll (Sunday) morning after getting back from the beach and I had to leave her in there for five minutes because I couldn’t catch her,” the trainer said.

“She is sitting on top of the world and she looks better than she did second-up so I am pretty impressed with the way she is coming through her preparation.

“It (barrier 4) is a very good gate for her on Monday. She’s got good gate speed and I think she can land right behind the speed and at Lismore that’s a big help.”

A Notion lines-up in the Lismore Cup Friday 27th September Class 1 Handicap (1420m) with the in-form apprentice Courtney Bellamy riding.

Northern Rivers’ ‘senior’ Matthew McGuren has the job on St Vincent’s other two starting with Wee Kahuna in the D & D Electrical Class 1 & Maiden Plate (2120m).

The son of the sturdy Bon Hoffa is proving to be something of an iron-horse himself, shedding his maiden at Grafton last start at the end of a busy July.

“I think the best thing about him was that was his third run in two weeks and he just finally got his manners altogether after racing a little bit unattractive a couple of times,” St Vincent added.

“He is very fit, especially after all those runs.

“He has been up a while but we thought we would give him a crack over a bit further and see if that can play in his favour too.

“He is still eating well and looks amazing so in those regards, there is no reason why he shouldn’t be going back to the races.’’

Wee Kahuna has emerged as a proverbial ‘money-spinner’ for connections led by Peter Buck who found, and bought, the horse online for just $4,250 in 2022.

Prior to Monday’s mission, the Bowness Stud bred four-year-old has accrued $43,400.

Buck is also at the top of the racebook when it comes to Golden Dubai who is a throwback to his maternal grandsire General Nediym (outwardly at least).

St Vincent’s chestnut is best known for his exploits circa 1000m but will try his hand over 1320m come Monday in the PJ’s Fruit & Veg Handicap.

“A lot of the times he has been running through the line,’’ St Vincent pointed out.

“I put a set of ear muffs on him this time because he has gone a bit quick a couple of times and he has had a tendency to play up in the barriers and miss the start and things like that.

“I know it’s weird but he is two-weeks between runs so that’s a bit fresh for him so I thought we better just try these on him over a bit further and see if he can curb his manners a bit.

“Stepping up in trip, he does need to relax a little bit more and I reckon this might help him out.”

Originally published as Trainer Aiden St Vincent plots winning Lismore hat-trick to launch new racing season