A fractured hand doesn’t typically signal good fortune, yet for modest trainer Sharryn Livingstone, it paved the way to a profession in horse training.
Operating with no more than four or perhaps five horses in training at once, performance counts heavily, and there’s keen interest surrounding Click Click Boom’s comeback to racing at Ipswich this Thursday.
Returning for the first time since September, Click Click Boom is entered in the Schweppes Benchmark 65 Handicap across an 800-metre dash.
“He hasn’t had a jumpout or trial but I did that last prep as well,” Livingstone said.
“I think he is going to be a better horse this prep so we’ll give him this little race over 800 and set plot a path for him.
“He really improved last prep and I feel that he’ll do that again. He’s a smart horse who doesn’t waste energy as he’s not gifted with the best front legs but he’s sound.
“If he was in a bigger stable, he may not have been given the time but time and patience has been the main thing.”
Purchased for $27,000 at the Magic Millions March Yearling Sale, the gelding sired by Queensland stallion Spirit Of Boom has contributed significantly to an admirable win ratio for his handler, securing three victories and five minor placings from 13 appearances.
The gelding has only missed the top four in one of those runs, a solid record for this progressive type on Racing and Sports ratings, where he hit a peak of 94 finishing at Gold Coast.
For Livingstone, Click Click Boom represents her 170th runner, boasting a 14% success rate for wins and 42% for places.
Coming from a training-oriented family, Sharryn devoted much of her career to part-time trackwork alongside a secondary occupation, until a hand injury in 2020 altered her trajectory.
“I hadn’t worked in a stable before, but when I had the injury I thought I should retire from track riding,” Livingstone added.
“When I got a horse called Heart Vanderlay, that’s when I thought I might as well become a trainer. I was winging it learning off other trainers and for now it is working.”
Justin Stanley will partner Click Click Boom on his return from a layoff that kept him sidelined since July of the previous year.
Explore the Australian betting sites for top racing odds on Click Click Boom in Thursday’s Schweppes Benchmark 65 Handicap at Ipswich.
