OLIVIA CAIRNS STABLE IS BACK IN THE GROOVE

By Graham Potter | Sunday, January 7, 2024

Trainer Olivia Cairns had been a major force in racing in Northern Queensland for many years with a host of feature race wins behind her name before making the move to South-East Queensland in February last year.

Not surprisingly, Cairns has found her feet in her new surroundings, saddling four winners in the nine day period since Christmas Eve, but consistent winning results like these took time to eventuate and, quite understandably, it was not an easy path getting to this stage.

“It was a huge move,” acknowledged Cairns. “We had to move everything ... from broodmares ... to yearlings ... to other horses ... to my little boy ... to our whole house ... everything, but the decision had been pending for years.

“I’d always wanted to come down. There is access to more tracks with less travelling. That was a factor. My mom and dad have a property out in Canungra. They have a few and breed a few ... and it has got to the stage where they need a hand ... and I was coming down here a few times during the year to race horses in town as well, and had been successful, so I thought, this is silly ... let’s just do it.

But that was easier said than done.

Taking such a major decision, not to mention a very brave one, meant relocating a 1000km from Mackay to Beaudesert, with Cairns backing herself to make the personal adjustment needed as well as her ability to gain and maintain a string of horses that would be competitive in the more challenging new environment she was taking on.

The number of stables she would be competing against now spiralled ... as, obviously, did the number of horses lining up against her, no matter what the race ... no matter what the grade ... and Cairns was also thrown a curve ball when the initial settling in process was anything but a smooth transition.

“We had a few dramas when we came down here,” explained Cairns.

“The first property we moved to didn’t prove to be suitable, so we had to make another move and that was ok and then a few things went wrong.

“Where we are now, everything is settled, they are nice people, we have got our own place and everything is sort of falling into place.

“The property we are on is not really named anymore. It used to be called Clear Summer Lodge, behind Scenic Rim Vets. Darlene Duruea used to train out of there. It is really nice.

“So, yeah, it took a few months to find our bearings, but things are starting to go well.

“It’s been a good couple of weeks.

“We’ll be looking to buy our own place and, in time, put in our own stables and go from there so it is still a work in progress.”

Of the twenty-one horses Cairns currently has in work, Fire King gave Cairns her biggest win since relocating to South-East Queensland when he took out the $200 000 Country Cups Challenge Final at Doomben on December 2 last year ... but the supporting cast has very much played its part in recent times with Quest Of Quests, Googaz (twice) and Diaco putting those four, quick-fire wins on the board for the Cairns stable.

Fire King’s race record also arguably stands as a great recommendation for Cairn’s all-around expertise as a trainer.

The chestnut has won eleven times ... with twenty-four minor placings ... from forty-nine starts with the wins coming over distances ranging from 850m to 1625m in good, soft and heavy going ... with accumulated prize-money of $467 725.

Throw in the many feature race wins that Cairns has landed across the length of the east coast of Queensland over the years and you realise that, while she, at first, made a relatively quiet entrance to South-East Queensland racing scene, Cairns’ proud record speaks for itself.

The stable has found its groove again and you can only think it will kick on from here.

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