Tauranga’s race meeting on July 6 marked the beginning of an exciting new venture for Nick Kneebone.
The Cambridge-based horseman saddled his first raceday runner, the appropriately named Nick Time, who finished sixth in the Container Co Maiden (1400m).
Kneebone, son of long-time auctioneer and New Zealand Bloodstock’s Director of Business Development Mike Kneebone, has spent a large part of his 20s gaining international experience to set him up for his move into training.
“It’s something that’s been a fair few years in the making,” he said.
“I started off over in Sydney with John Sargent, who obviously trained very successfully in New Zealand before making the move to Australia. I learned so much during my time with him, and now it’s great to be back home and putting that knowledge into practice with my own career.
“I want to give it a crack at a time when it looks like New Zealand racing is on the up. The prize-money increases have been great news for the industry here in recent times and I’m very keen to be a part of it.”
Kneebone has purchased the Cambridge stable that was formerly owned by the now Cranbourne-based Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young.
“I’ve taken over Trent and Natalie’s old stable, which in more recent times has been leased by Hollie Wynyard,” he said.
“We’ve been putting a lot of work into whipping it into shape and it’s all coming together nicely. There’s still a little bit of paddock fencing to go and things like that, but I’m really happy with how it’s all coming together.”
While a large part of his operation will centre around preparing horses for the NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka every November, Kneebone will also serve as a public trainer.
“I’ve got 20 boxes here,” he said. “The number of horses will go up and down a bit depending on the time of the year. I’ve got eight pointing towards the Ready to Run Sale, so they’re not far off coming back in to start their preparations.
“There’s a few older horses that are up and racing too. I’m lucky enough to have some outside clients that are giving me some really good support in this early part of my career.
“We’re only a small team, so there’s plenty going on to keep us busy.”
A key member of that team is Tony Allan, whose successful career in the saddle has produced over 1000 wins, headed by the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) with Empire Rose in 1988.
Allan has trained his own team of horses at Otaki in recent times but has made the move to Cambridge to be Kneebone’s main trackwork rider. He has brought his own horses with him, including his first runner at his new home track, Perfect Posy, who he rode into second place in Thursday’s Cambridge Equine Hospital (970m).
“Tony and I go way back, I’ve known him for years,” Kneebone said. “I was struggling a bit for trackwork riders, so I just sent him a message one day saying that I’d love to have him up here at Cambridge if he was keen. He jumped at the opportunity.
“He’s been an awesome help. He does a lot of the gallops for me, and his knowledge and insight has been so valuable. He seems to have settled in really well in Cambridge and he’s loving it.
“He’s also brought up some of his own horses and nearly had a win at the local meeting last week. It’s good to have the team coming into a bit of form. Hopefully we can continue with that and it’s onwards and upwards from here.”