MACKAY'S leading horse trainer for the past five years, Stuart Kendrick, is shifting his racing stables to the Sunshine Coast.
LEE CONSTABLE reports in the MACKAY MERCURY that Kendrick, who has more than 30 horses in his stable, recently opened a satellite stable at Deagon in Brisbane.
But he will move that and his Mackay base to Caloundra over the next couple of weeks.
He said he was considering keeping a small stable in Mackay but had made no decision on that yet.
After winning the past five Mackay premierships, Kendrick said he felt the timing was right, especially with Ooralea set to lose race dates next season.
"The quality of horses in our stable has never been better and we have excellent owners,'' Kendrick said.
"My owners have been very supportive of the move.''
Kendrick said the likelihood of Mackay losing up to seven TAB meetings had helped him make the final decision.
"We are already doing a massive amount of travelling and any cuts to race meetings here will only make it tougher for anyone trying to earn a living from training in Mackay.
"It is a shame as my family and I love living in Mackay and racing in North Queensland."
Racing Queensland Limited's draft calendar for 2013-14 proposes cutting seven Mackay TAB meetings.
Three of them would be replaced with non-TAB race days, resulting in a loss of four meetings.
Kendrick, who leads the Queensland provincial trainers' premiership with 29 winners, said facilities at Caloundra were tremendous and included oncourse stables.
He said the lack of oncourse stables at Ooralea had been a big disappointment during his time in Mackay.
"I and other trainers have had discussions with Mackay Turf Club about oncourse stabling for many years now but nothing has eventuated," he said.
Stable jockey Adrian Coome, who leads the Queensland provincial jockeys premiership, is also moving to the Sunshine Coast.
Kendrick, 41, began his racehorse training in Mackay part-time at the age of 18.
He later moved to Brisbane and trained full-time there.
He built up a stable of 18 horses in Brisbane before returning home to Mackay in 2004.
SO LONG, FAREWELL
MACKAY Turf Club chairman Ian Joblin said he was disappointed trainer Stuart Kendrick had chosen to relocate south.
"But we wish Stuart all the best for the future," Joblin said yesterday. "We have enjoyed having him back in Mackay after his previous time in Brisbane.
"We hope his endeavours go well in southeast Queensland,'' he said.
"Hopefully, there will be another trainer or trainers to take his place in Mackay."
Joblin rejected claims the club's committee had sat on its hands when it came to oncourse stabling.
He said oncourse stabling had been part of redevelopment plans for Ooralea Racecourse but had to be dropped when funding was cut from $18 million to $7.4m.
STORY SOURCE: MACKAY DAILY MERCURY - AUSTRALIAN PROVINCIAL NEWSPAPER GROUP.
