Trots Centre: A little thing prompts Hinch's big track return

A pony was Emily Hinch’s pathway back to the trots and the trainer’s return is sealed tonight when El Banco steps out in the Flying Horse Bistro Maiden Pace at Ballarat.

Hinch joined SENTrack’s Talking Trots today and told host Blake Redden “the (nerves) have been there for a few days now”, with the lightly-raced seven-year-old gelding her first starter in almost a decade.

“It’s been a few years, I think I worked out it’s about just over nine years since I had a starter in my name at the races,” Hinch said. “Nine years ago our first baby was born and that was when my last starter was. It’s been a while.”

The Portland resident had previously had 175 starters produce 10 wins between 2005 and 2011, with Manwarra Fleurson producing her first victory and Manwarra Logic her last, the latter coming on June 29 2011 at Maryborough.

“I started out as a teenager going out and helping Peter Tonkin when he was down on the weekends and school holidays,” she told Talking Trots.

“I was lucky enough to learn from him the tricks of the trade and to be involved in a nice horse. We had Pipemajor, who won at Moonee Valley, he was a good old horse.

“It’s always been there and when Peter moved to Ballarat it was either throw it away or get my license, so I got my own license and plugged away for a few years and had a few winners.

“Right up until nine years ago I always had one or two in work. I'm trained as a nurse and a midwife, so that’s what I do when I’m not hanging out with the kids or the horses.”

And it was “the kids” who brought back “the horses”.

“We bought the kids a pony and the kids did pony trots last year,” she said. “And I was a bit like, if I’m working a pony I might as well work a horse. That’s how we ended up with one back in work.

“I was mainly looking for something that would be suitable to race in Mount Gambier, it’s about an hour for us from here and we are going over for the ponies anyway.”

Enter El Banco, who had previously raced for Rebecca Bartley, having placed second twice in five starts in his only campaign, which came between May and August last year.

Hinch said her plans to race El Banco in Mt Gambier had met a hitch due to COVID-19 border restrictions, which have only recently been relaxed.

Subsequently, she had looked elsewhere for that first race start and hence the duo make their collective debut tonight.

“I would just like to see him get around and be competitive, he’s had a long time off,” she said. “If we can be thereabouts that’d be nice for his first-up run, I think he will improve on whatever we do today.”

TALKING TROTS ON SENTRACK:

Join Blake Redden from 11am to 1pm on SENTrack, which airs on 1593AM in Melbourne, 1539AM in Sydney, 657AM in Perth, 801AM in Gosford, 96.9FM in Ingham, 99.1FM in Atherton and 1575AM in Wollongong.

Click here to listen live and for links to download the SEN app.