My thanks to Sean Driver who took the trouble to email me last week after having listened to our recent podcast with jockey Brad Pengelly. Sean was hoping Carael Boy would figure among Brad’s list of favourite horses, and he certainly wasn’t disappointed.
Brad was one of ten jockeys to win on Carael Boy during his long career, but rode him more often than any of the others. From twenty five rides on the durable gelding, Brad recorded nine wins and five placings. His wins included a Newcastle Country Cup, a listed Civic Hcp, a Gr 3 Hawkesbury Cup, a Gr 3 BTC Sprint and a Gr 2 Villiers Stakes. Four of Pengelly’s placings on Carael Boy were at stakes level.
“He was so genuine and gave me many thrills,” recalled the jockey on our recent podcast. “Carael Boy was part of a wonderful run of success I had with his trainer Bob Milligan. Most times we teamed up we seemed to get a winner, but Carael Boy was the star of the show.”
Brad was delighted to ride Carael Boy in the 2002 Gr 1 Stradbroke Hcp - one of only three races the gelding contested at the elite level. “He was flying at the time, had the benefit of barrier 3 and I was quietly confident,” said Brad. “He finished midfield only three lengths from the winner, after having had every chance. Mind you it was a cracker field with Show A Heart beating Falvelon and Kingsgate.”
Image courtesy Steve Hart Photographics - One of Brad Pengelly's 9 wins on Carael Boy. Here he holds off Patezza (G. Boss) to win 2004 Gr 3 Liverpool Cup at Warwick Farm.
Larry Cassidy had seven rides on Carael Boy for a Wyong Cup win in 2005 and a dead heat with High Cee in the Newcastle Cup of the same year. “He was an absolute gentleman to ride in a race,” Larry recalled. “You could put him wherever you wanted in the field, and he tried his heart out right to the line. A push button horse.”
Sean Driver’s email also revealed that Carael Boy, or “Henry” as he’s been known throughout his life is hale and hearty on the family property “Kurrinda” at Fordwich 2kms west of Broke in the Hunter Region of NSW. “Old Henry is nearing his 23rd birthday, but couldn’t be in better shape,” says Sean. “He’s a great favourite with the family and visitors to the property. My four year old daughter Estella is his greatest fan.”
Carael Boy with some of his fan club, Sean Driver and his 4yo daughter Estella.
Sean’s late maternal grandfather Ken Silverside established the original “Kurrinda Stud” on 670 acres in the early 1990’s with the assistance of a horse called Charmcay. Ken raced the chestnut gelding and received an unexpected windfall when Charmcay won the Prime TV Quality at Tamworth with the now retired Paul Falvey in the saddle. The 3YO feature carried a purse of $102,000, a tidy sum twenty six years ago.
Ken went on to stand stallions like Carael Boy’s sire Free Flyer, and son Of Gildoran at his much loved property. He slowly acquired a small but fashionable band of broodmares including Song Of Spring (Northern Spring), destined to become the dam of Carael Boy.
When Ken Silverside passed away five years ago, his family made the decision to sell “Kurrinda” with its excellent facilities. Sean purchased a much smaller farm (40 acres) in the district, where he could keep his grandfather’s dream alive, albeit on a smaller scale.
He delights in looking for affordable horses at Inglis Sales each year, which he syndicates among existing clients and new owners. Sean handles all the breaking in, pre training and spelling requirements of the young horses, while talented young Dubbo trainer Kody Nestor has the task of getting them to the races.
Sean is excited by the likely prospects of a two year old Headwater filly called Five Bob purchased at last year’s Inglis Classic sale. He’s equally enamoured of a Your Song filly acquired at this year’s Inglis Classic Sale - already named One Penny.
Sean and partners are enjoying a fun ride with three year old filly One Pound (Onemorenomore) winner of two recent races at Wellington and Dubbo. The tradition of naming “Kurrinda” horses after pre decimal currencies was the brainchild of Ken Silverside, and his grandson intends to continue the practice.
“Ken’s Tubas Pty Ltd Syndicate had a lot of fun some years back with A Deena (slang for a shilling) and Tray Bit (slang for threepence) in the pre decimal currency days,” says Sean. “In fact those two horses between them won fourteen races.”
The one horse in “Kurrinda’s” history not named after a coin or note is Carael Boy. “I recall Pop telling me how he named the Free Flyer horse,” said Sean. “My grandfather was an orphan and preferred the company of a certain dog early in his life. That dog was called Carael. He felt the best way to perpetuate the name was by giving it to one of his favourite homebreds.”
Image courtesy Steve Hart Photographics - Zac Purton was the rider when Carael Boy won the 2005 Winter Stakes at Rosehill.
The principal legacy of Ken Silverside’s dream is the fact that future “Kurrinda” horses will continue to carry the colours he registered more than forty years ago - white, pale blue star, pale blue striped sleeves and a dark blue cap. Those colours will be a fixture on NSW tracks for many years to come.
In the meantime the old horse who carried those colours to the upper echelon of Australian racing, will see out his days in five star comfort at the new “Kurrinda Bloodstock” headquarters - a fitting finale for a true warrior who scraped together just a few dollars short of 1 million in prize money.
He’s been a worthy namesake for the faithful dog who befriended Sean Driver’s grandfather when a young orphan needed a mate.
(Banner image - Up to his knees in lush Hunter Valley pasture. Henry at Kurrinda 2020)
Thanks for the memories mate! Sean and Henry at Kurrinda.
Henry looks much younger than his 23 years.