'Big boy' Kango to launch Arna's Aussie raid at Melton

Arna Donnelly’s first experience of bringing horses and racing them across the ditch could very well start with a bang this Saturday night at Melton.

The Cambridge horsewoman flew across the Tasman today and will prepare the exciting Kango for the Mimosa Homes Minuteman Free For All at Victorian harness racing headquarters this weekend.

The 43-year-old is based at Brent Lilley’s Bolinda stables with her fast class star and three-year-old squaregaiter Viginia Clowers, who will target the Victoria Trotters Oaks and Need For Speed and Breeders Crown series in the coming months.

Donnelly said limited opportunities for Kango – a winner of 13 races and more than $350,000 - in New Zealand had led to the idea of an Australian campaign.

“We live in the North Island back home and there’s not a lot of open class racing for him, so I’d either have to go south or come here,” Donnelly said.

“We thought we might come here for something different and get a bit of harder racing into him before he gets home for hopefully the New Zealand Cup.”

Donnelly said she’d love to have Kango start in the Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton on October 14.

“He’ll probably have to improve a little bit and step up, but it would be great if he could get in that race,” she said.

“He’s a big boy and has probably taken a long time to fill into his frame, so hopefully he’s mentally a bit stronger and mature now to cope with the hard racing.

“He’s only had a couple of really quiet trials at home, so he’s definitely going to benefit from the run on Saturday. I think whatever he does, he will definitely improve on.

“He’s very fit, but just not race-hard yet.”

Kango is yet to win at Group 1 level in his homeland, but beat Pembrook Playboy and Akuta to claim the Kaikoura Cup during October 2022 and defeated Self Assured and Old Town Road in the Roy Purdon Memorial on May 19. He has not raced since his sixth placing in the Auckland Cup a week later and has the wide back row draw to contend with over the 2240m trip this weekend.

Donnelly has trained a handful of winners here in Australia before, but this is the first time she’s travelled with horses herself.

“I’ve sold a few and sent a few over, but first time bringing them myself. It’s something to tick off the bucket list,” she said.

Virginia Clowers, a winner of just one race but a fourth placegetter in May’s Northern Trotting Derby in NZ, will remain in Victoria after Donnelly returns home.

“She’ll probably stay with me until the Victoria Oaks all going well and will then transfer over to Brent Lilley,” she said.