Racing has always been a family affair for Brooke Kincaid, and that will continue at Riccarton on Saturday when the Riverton horsewoman makes her training debut alongside her grandfather, Graham Eade.
The 23-year-old grew up assisting Eade at his Southland stable where she fell in love with horses and racing, and was intent on following him into a career in the industry.
“I have pretty much been working with the horses ever since I could walk and I have spent a lot of time staying with my grandparents so I could be with the horses,” Kincaid said.
“My uncle used to help a lot, he was training before my grandfather and he used to let me help him with breaking in the horses, and it has gone from there. He helped me ride a bit of trackwork, they have all really supported me since I was little.”
Kincaid began working for Eade once she left school, but she felt the pull of the city and soon moved north to the bright lights of Christchurch to further her racing experience.
“As soon as I finished school, I took it (racing) up full-time,” Kincaid said. “I was with my grandparents for about a year and then I got a job with Terri Rae in Christchurch, and I was with her for about three years. That was a great experience, I learnt a lot from her.”
Kincaid then felt the lure of home and has enjoyed being back down south assisting Eade and is now excited to be joining him in a training partnership.
“Apart from the weather, it is good being back in Riverton,” Kincaid said. “It is good to be back home and working with Granddad.”
The newly formed partnership will have their first runners at Riccarton this weekend and they could make the perfect start, with stakes performer Riviera Rebel (NZ) (Pure Champion) set to be their first runner in the Gold Club Rating 75 (1800m).
The showy chestnut has been a standout on the track, winning two and placing in six of his 11 starts to date, including a placing in the Listed Southland Guineas (1600m) in February.
“I have got quite a good chance with my first runner (Riviera Rebel), he is a very nice horse,” Kincaid said. “He is a stable favourite and he is very pretty as well, which makes him even more of a favourite.
“He has been racing really well and in that last race he was so close. He just keeps improving off every run and he is still learning every time. He has been galloping really well at home and he is going into the race really well.”
Stakes targets await the four-year-old later this spring following a spell after his weekend assignment.
“He is going to have a bit of a break after National week,” Kincaid said. “We were looking at running him in the Winter Cup (Gr.3, 1600m) but he is just a bit young still and he is still maturing and developing, we just didn’t want to push him too hard this preparation.
“We will give him two or three weeks out and then get him ready for Cup Week. He has only got big things ahead of him.”
Later on the card, Kincaid will line-up Ataahua Pipedream, who she also part-owns, in the Winter Fashions Here 10 August Rating 75 (1400m).
“He is a funny horse, he is up and down with his form, but when he does want to do it, he can be very good,” she said.
“He is running out of his grade, but he gets weight off him, and Yogesh (Atchamah, apprentice jockey) knows him. 1200m should suit him down that long straight, he has got a good turn of foot when he wants to do it. He has been galloping with Riviera Rebel and they have both been going quite well.”
Ataahua Pipedream was formerly trained by Kincaid’s previous employer Terri Rae, and she said the Riccarton trainer has sent a few horses their way, including recent stable acquisition Maryweka.
“I still have a good connection with Terri and she suggested to the owners to send her down to us to give her a chance in the southern racing when it starts up down here,” Kincaid said. “She will be quite exciting, she has got good form and is a nice horse.”
While excited about the future, Kincaid can’t wait to line-up her first runners this weekend and kick-off her dream career.
“There is nothing else I have wanted to do. It is very exciting.” she said.
