Upset Filly Drops a Bomb Of Rivals

Temperamental filly Hand Grenade left her tricks at home and blew away her more fancied rivals with a boil over win at Cluden Park on Tuesday.

Sent out a rank outsider at $21, Hand Grenade stunned her opposition to win the Great Northern Brewing Co. 3YO QTIS Hcp (1200m).

Punters were left stunned when odds-on favourite That’s It reared at the start, giving jockey Jason Taylor a black eye, and losing all hope.

The winner’s cheque of $24,000 handed trainer Joanna Hassett with her biggest pay day as a trainer.

“As long as I’ve been training that’s the most prize money I’ve won as a trainer,” Hassett said.

“The Lightning I won here, and the cups I’ve won in the bush weren’t worth as much.

“That QTIS money makes a huge difference.

“I got really excited with that win. She can be a real head case but she got it together today.”

A delighted Hassett was relieved the filly had finally broken through for her first win since the stable bought her out of the Tom Button yard for $15,000 last year.

Her faith and perseverance with the troublesome daughter of Power had been tested, but she never doubted the ability was there despite a disappointing 11 length fourth of five in Cairns first-up.

“She’d hardly had a spelled when we got her and we gave her about six runs last year and by then she’d really trained off,” Hassett said.

“We put her out for a good three months through the wet and she came back really good.

“The pre-trainer Terry McGovern did a really good job with her and he shoes her too.

“We couldn’t get her back shoes on her in her first up run in Cairns and she had to run unshod. And she also travelled really badly.

“Before that she ran second in a trial to Tambo’s Justice and dug deep and went well, and she then won a jump out so I knew she had it.

“But she just runs her race before hand and gets a bit too excited.

“We chucked her out in the back stalls at home with the Shetland pony Smudge and left her alone and she seems a lot happier.

“They’re pretty good friends and Smudge keeps her calm.”

Hassett is hoping a light summer for her small string, all bargain buys, will pay dividends in coming months.

“We only have the four and that’s all we need. I call us a boutique stable,” she said with a wry smile.

“I’m really hoping to target some country cups with Joe’s Giggle this year.

“He’s crying out for 1800m or 2000m and I’ll just try and get the miles into his legs and we can have a go. 

“As pie in the sky as it might sound I’d love to get him into the Townsville Cup. It’s crazy, but he’s my horse and I’d love nothing better.”

Hand Grenade’s surprise win was a just reward for hard working jockey Jackson Murphy who sealed a winning double when he led all of the way on Set The Sails in the Mitavite C1 Hcp (1200m) in Tom Hedley’s colours for trainer Steven Royes.

Hedley’s silks were again on top when good galloper Missile Thunder held out a brave Booming Lad in the Hygain Open Hcp (1000m) and gave jockey Sean Cormack his second winner for day.

He scored earlier on Fabulean in the Ladbrokes 2YO Maiden Hcp (1200m) for Mackay trainer Jennifer Hatfield.