THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN: KENDRICK RACING WINS 2019 CALOUNDRA CUP NAMING RIGHTS

By Graham Potter | Sunday, April 7, 2019

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily.

Professional life is pretty good for Stuart Kendrick at the moment. The Sunshine Coast based racehorse trainer is seemingly on his way to yet another Sunshine Coast Trainers’ Premiership and his stable’s steady stream of winners is testament to the on-going professionalism and constant desire for improvement he has consistently brought to his business since making the move from Mackay to the Sunshine Coast back in February 2013.

Kendrick had won five trainer’s premierships in a row in Mackay before making that decision to relocate but starting again in a new centre was always going to be a challenge. Kendrick, however, never faltered for a second taking out the coast’s premiership in his first full season at what is now his home track … and he really has never looked back.

But it is not always about race-day action.

Last week Kendrick Racing gained an extremely pleasurable win off the track when they won the naming rights for the 2019 Caloundra Cup at the 100 Club Gala Dinner held at the Sunshine Coast Turf Club.

“It was a great night,” Kendrick said. “The prizes are drawn at random. Basically, they have two barrels and they draw a name of a business out of one barrel and then draw a race-day date out of the other barrel … with the big prize of the Caloundra Cup being held aside until the last draw.

“On out table we had three of the businesses in the last six … and then our table got down to the last two … being between us and Austack who we buy our feed from and are friends with, so it was a really good evening.

“The 100 Club is basically a sponsorship deal,” explained Kendrick. “I think Mick Sullivan (the former long-time CEO of the Sunshine Cast Turf Club) came up with the idea and it has been going for nineteen years now. You put in some money and you get the benefits of that deal.

“For the last couple of years we have wanted to get involved with the 100 Club but haven’t been in it. This year was the first year we were there.

“As I said, everybody gets some benefits but, obviously, the top prize is the naming rights for the Cup. The race gets a lot of exposure … both locally and nationally.

“So, it is nice result for us.

“It’s good to be involved with the club. It was good to win it,” concluded Kendrick.

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