Longwarry trainer Michael Hughes with his rising three-year-old Ulos after a solid win at Cranbourne’s last meeting.By Brad Kingsbury
CRANBOURNE Harness Racing Club will host its annual Christmas in July race meeting next Saturday night and regular visitor Michael Hughes will be among the trainers at the venue, competing for the spoils of victory.
Hughes is a familiar face at Cranbourne and Warragul, the two venues he regards as his home tracks and rarely misses having at least one runner at either track.
The Longwarry-based trainer is only 33, but is an old hand at the trotting caper, having been involved in some capacity since he was 13.
He started taking an interest in standard-bred horses and helping Warragul trainer Eric Glen and quickly developed a love for both the sport and the animals.
“I used to go to his place after school and on holidays and help out. It was good fun and always pretty busy,” he said.
The interest soon developed into a potential career and, in his early 20s, Hughes was plucked by Geoff Ward, who was the resident trainer at the Longwarry property owned by leading motor car trader Gary Rogers.
“I was asked to go down and work for Geoff when he was training for Gary and that was about 10 years ago,” he said.
“I learned a lot in that time and was fortunate enough to get the job (as head trainer) when Geoff left about six years ago. I took over the stable and we’ve been going okay.”
The property is around 90 acres (36.5 hectares) and consists of 25 day yards, two training tracks and a swimming pool. It is a professional set up and Hughes’ results reflect the effort that has gone into building the business, with his horses regularly finishing in the money.
He has two staff and 15 horses, all owned by Rogers, in work at present.
“We can get up to 17 in the stables and there is also about six weanlings that are coming through so it’s a busy place,” Hughes said.
“We usually get there by about six o’clock in the morning and sometimes don’t get home until midnight. It can be long hours but I love it.”
He rated his best horse to date as Warragul Cup winner Frame Game and said his mare Ronorail was also an exciting prospect.
While he loved racing at his local tracks, Hughes admitted he would travel wherever he had to if the race was the right one for his horse.
“I don’t care if I have to go to Stawell or further to race, but if there is a race at home I will always enter if I can,” he said.
“I love it here (at Cranbourne) and come here almost every Saturday morning for trials. It’s a good track with good people and a friendly atmosphere.”
Hughes said he was likely to have at least one runner in the Christmas in July meeting and looked forward to the annual event each year.
