Wildcard entry in the Newhaven Park Country Championships at Randwick this Saturday, I’ve Bean Tryin’, with connections Kevin Biilmann, Riley Nesbit, Steve Johnson, trainer Matt Kelley and Lynley Miners. Photo: Bradley Photographers.
Excitement is building in Cooma as local racehorse owners plan their trip to Sydney this weekend to watch their horse, I’ve Bean Tryin’, contest the $500,000 Newhaven Park Country Championships at Royal Randwick.
The Country Championships is an initiative of Racing NSW, created to support and promote NSW racing in country areas, ensuring that horses from across the state are part of the championships in Sydney in the autumn.
The fairytale ride has continued for the trainer and connections of I’ve Bean Tryin’ after he got up in the last stride to win the Country Championship Wildcard qualifier over 1400 metres at Goulburn on 17 March.
Raced by Monaro identities David, Lindy and Luke Bracher, Lynley and Ann Miners, Kevin and Ruth Biilman, Terry and Leanne Schofield, Alan and Georgina Guthrie, Ben Hayden and Stephen Johnson, the four-year-old gelded son of Spill the Beans from Sheza Lonhro, is trained in Canberra by Matt Kelley.
On 17 March, in a 16-horse field vying for a total of $150,000 in prizemoney, I’ve Bean Tryin’ (starting at $9) was seventh at the 800-metre point and was still a long way from the leaders on straightening.
However, under the urging of Ellen Hennessey, he kept finding and, in an exciting finish, he grabbed the lead right on the line from To The Nines, ridden by Shaun Guymer for Goulburn trainer Tash Burleigh, to score by ¼ length. Hennessey was only engaged for the ride after the intended jockey, Quade Krogh, was injured in a race fall at Wagga the previous day.
I’ve Bean Tryin’ will go to the Country Championships final at Randwick this Saturday 1 April to meet 15 other qualifiers from throughout NSW who are chasing the $500,000 in prizemoney.
I’ve Bean Tryin’ was bred by David Bracher and some friends in Queensland after they had raced his mother, Sheza Lonhro.
I’ve Bean Tryin’ and his mother, who has since produced his full sister (Miss Eucumbean), were moved to Cooma and he commenced his first racing preparation in the (David) Kelley Racing stables in Canberra before having his mandatory first barrier trial in May 2021.
After a spell, part-owner Stephen Johnson took over the training of the horse and prepared him to win two races in Canberra, a third placing at Queanbeyan and a creditable fifth at Randwick.
However, with employment commitments needing to take priority, when the horse came back into work after another spell, Johnson, supported by the other owners, made the decision to pass the training of the horse back to Kelley Racing.
He subsequently ran a first up third placing at Canberra on 20 May 2022 before Matt Kelley secured his trainer’s licence and the horse duly won at Wagga and then a Highway Handicap at Randwick in July 2022, with Ellen Hennessey riding.
He ran another third at Randwick before having a spell and then being set for the Country Championships.
After a barrier trial win at Moruya, a fourth at Warwick Farm and a barrier trial win at Goulburn, he headed to the championships qualifier at Moruya on 5 March 2023, only to meet a track bias that seemingly favoured front-runners.
He subsequently finished seventh behind the winner, Kimberley Secrets, and second-placed Testator Silens, who he will now meet at Randwick in the final.
The winner of five races and $193,000 in prizemoney from 12 starts, I’ve Bean Tryin’ will meet a very strong field at Randwick and will need to find all of his previously displayed finishing brilliance if he is to win.
He will be starting from barrier 16 but with a rain-affected track, he still has a real chance of making the dream of the connections come true.
He has had three wins from three starts on heavy tracks. As of acceptance time on Wednesday, the track was rated a soft 6, with more showers expected.
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