Bush bids again for Country Cups Challenge

By Glenn Davis

You’ve got to have a line in the water to catch a fish.

That’s the approach from Townsville trainer Stephen Bush ahead off his bid to win the Country Cups Challenge qualifier at Home Hill on Saturday.

Bush is once again baiting his hook for the $200,000 Final at Doomben on November 30 with former New Zealander Medal who did not qualify for last year’s big dance.

Medal has met the criteria of having had five starts in the past 12 months in non-TAB and TAB country meetings but is yet to win a qualifier.

The six-year-old is in a purple patch of form with two wins and as many placing from his past four starts and is coming off a close third to Fifth Position in a 2000 metre Open Handicap at Innisfail on October 19.

The son of Savabeel was previously successful over 1810 metres at Bowen a week earlier.

Bush is in his third season of training in Townsville and has already won five Cup races with Medal and Wise Dragon, which include the Bowen, Burdekin and Home Hill Cups.

“I won two Bowen Cups, two Ewan Cups and a Home Hill Cup with two different horses, Wise Dragon and Medal,” Bush said.

Bush hails from Yass in NSW and has a long background with horses including on the rodeo and polocrosse circuits.

He trains on a property which has its own track, swimming pool and water walker at Hervey Range, about half an hour outside Townsville.

“I’ve got six in work but we’re currently rebuilding the stables so I can have about 10,” Bush said.

“I do most of the trackwork at home and I take them into Townsville mostly for some slow work.”

Bush also worked as a truck driver for trainer Ken Callaghan at Yass for almost two years and was a pre-trainer working with problem horses.

He paid a paltry $20,000 for Medal who was originally a $570,000 purchase in New Zealand before crossing the ditch to race in Victoria and Tasmania.

Medal - a Pietro Romeo mount – is dropping back sharply in distance from 2000 metres to 1460 metres, but it doesn’t overly concern Bush.

“I’ve freshened him up for this race so he can get into the Final in Brisbane,” Bush said.

“It’s only 1460 metres but he’s keen and is ready to go.

“You can’t get too cocky in races like this as they’re all good horses but he’ll be very competitive.”