Picton Out to Continue Dream Start for Training Couple

Training newcomers Stephen and Michelle Bush never dreamt that in just six months they would already be making an impact in the Townsville racing ranks.

The couple have trained 10 winners from 17 starters since October and are hoping their golden run continues with tough galloper Picton at Cluden Park tomorrow.

After decades of training and riding roping and polo horses at the highest level, the Bushes have made every post a winner since venturing into racing at their Harvey Range Rd property after relocating from Yass in NSW.

“We’re absolutely rapt with how we’re going. Both of us have had many years of experience with horses. Everything we do is for the horses,” Stephen Bush, a former NSW polo representative, said.

“When we started out I was happy just to see my name in the race book on the trainers’ ladder even if it was at the bottom. But we’ve crept up a bit with a few winners.

“We mix it up a fair bit with the horses. They do a lot of slow work, swimming, walking and when they come home from the track they go out in the paddock and can just be horses.”

Michelle, a former National barrel race champion, says the couple have worked hard to get established since turning to racing as their new livelihood in the middle of last year.

“When we started we thought we were on the right track, and we sort of were but just needed to do a little bit more,” she said.

“We’ve learnt that you buy the better horses, you make them fit and you make them happy.

“They’re all our own horses and we train for the horses.

“It’s tough racing up here so you still have to have a tough horse. We put a lot of work into finding the right horses to buy – we look at their form, where they’ve been, study quite a few videos and find out as much about them as we can.

“I was a foreman for racing stables in NSW in my earlier years and Steve was too, riding trackwork and breaking in horses so we’ve had a  background in a bit of everything.”

The couple can train up to 10 at their stables but aim to have six in work at any one time while others spell.

Despite the low numbers, since the beginning of October, the Bush stables have led in five winners at Cluden, two in Cairns, one in Mackay and a winning double in Bowen which included the Cup.

And the success has already led to more purchases to bolster their team for next year’s carnivals.

In the meantime, they have two runners tomorrow, Picton in the Mitavite BM 58 Hcp (1400m) and Foreverede in the Trackside Photography BM 55 Hcp (1200m).

Stephen Bush rates Picton, a winner of his past two starts, their best chance.

“I expect Picton to go pretty well. He’s drawn well and will be up there in the run and I think there’s probably only two other main chances in it,” Bush said.

The nine-event at Cluden kicks off at 12.22pm.

Pictured: Tough galloper Picton, with Frank Edwards in the saddle, defies the opposition to claim another win for trainer Stephen Bush at Cluden. Bush has high hopes for Picton at Cluden tomorrow.

See the racing calendar for upcoming race days.