Latest News

By Ray Hickson

They say never look a gift horse in the mouth and in Ellen Hennessy’s case that horse is Easy Campese, a plucky four-year-old gelding she has developed not only an imposing record on but gets on famously with.

Apprentice Ellen Hennessy (Pic: Bradley Photos)

The John Sargent trained gelding shoots for back-to-back wins in the Heineken 3 Handicap (1550m) at Kensington on Wednesday and if that is realised Hennessy’s record on the horse will move to four wins and a second from five rides.

Hennessy, who has the plum job of riding superstar Zaaki in trackwork most mornings, isn’t sure why she and Easy Campese click so well but isn’t about to question it.

“I love this little horse, he gave me my first winner in town (in May last year),’’ she said.

“He must just like me, and I love him. I’d love to know, I’d love to ask him. I’d love to take him when he retires, he’s such a little gem and one of those horses that makes you look good.

“He’s just a real gutsy little horse, tries his heart out.”

Easy Campese, $2.70 with TAB on Tuesday, returned from a two month break with an eye-catching Midway Handicap second at Rosehill in mid-January, Hennessy’s only defeat on the gelding, then romped away with a 1400m Benchmark 72 on the Kensington track two weeks ago.

He rises 2kg on that last start win and while he will shoulder 61.5kg it’s not something that’s completely foreign to him.

“When I rode him in the Albury Guineas he carried 60.5kg and it was a massive effort that day,’’ she said.

“For a little horse he carries weight so well. He will have a fair bit of dead weight on his back but he’s drawn to do no work so hopefully he gets the breaks.

“He’s a versatile little horse and has a really great turn of foot.”

That versatility will allow Hennessy to ride Easy Campese with confidence knowing that while he led all the way last start it’s not something he has to do to win.

And the 1550m trip is no concern, that was the distance Hennessy guided him over to claim her maiden city win.

“For him to run so good first-up over 1200m was a big effort and his last win was pretty good, he ran away from them nicely at the end,’’ she said.

“We’ll give him a dig and if he leads he leads, if something wants to go crazy we let it go and sit outside.”

The 23-year-old apprentice is currently on loan to Annabel Neasham and she made a point of being there on Monday to watch Zaaki go through his paces in a barrier trial at Warwick Farm.

Easy Campese wins at Kensington on February 2

It’s still a couple of weeks away from his planned return in the Group 1 $500,000 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick and Hennessy said he’s a real character and is rapt with how he is coming along.

“He jumps around, kicks the railing, laughs at me a bit,’’ she said.

“He’s enormous to ride, when you gallop him you just feel the power.

“I took him to the beach the other week, he tried to sit down in the water and he grunts like an old man when he’s walking through the water.”

All the fields, form and replays for Wednesday's Kensington meeting