SWAN Hill trainer Nathan Hobson, a dual St Pat’s Day cup winner, is planning to bring a truckload of horses to this year’s meeting.
Again.
The high-profile Victorian country trainer has been heading northwest almost every year since 2016 – he was forced to miss 2024 with a date clash pitting Broken Hill against his home track.
But this year the meetings are on consecutive days, so Hobson has confirmed he has at least six horses headed for town.
Along with rising star Makisha Salter, his apprentice jockey, to ride them all.
And he still reflects fondly on the year he landed five winners at a single St Pat’s Day – and all five ridden by his then apprentice Madison Lloyd.
“We got off to a flyer at Broken Hill, with Alpha Auriga winning the cup in the first year we came up,” Hobson said.
“Then we did it again in 2022 with Kazoom, who finished half a length in front of End Of Day, trained by Con Kelly, who also comes from Swan Hill, so it was a local quinella for us,” he laughed.
“This year I have high hopes for our seven-year-old gelding King and King, which won the Moulamein Cup in December, which is also over 1600m like the St Pat’s Day Cup, after finishing second in the Silver City Cup the month before.
“He now has five wins and close to $100,000 in prizemoney and is looking pretty handy so I reckon he might have a fair crack.
“He finished fifth in a field of 14 at Bendigo in February in his first start of this prep so should be full of running.”
Hobson is also bringing Rocket Boy, a winner at Broken Hill in November, in his team and is also confident the seven-year-old gelding will more than pay for the trip.
“We love going to Broken Hill, it is the only meeting we attend where we go overnight, we are always happy to make the trip because it is such a fantastic day,” he added.
“Everywhere else we race it is there and back in a day, but this March weekend is pretty special.
“We will be up there on the Friday night, race on Saturday and be back home in Swan Hill for the meeting here on the Sunday.
“It’s a big ask, but it’s a big weekend and we wouldn’t miss it.”
