Huckleberry and Palermo go back to back

By Mike Love

Leeston trainer Michael Palermo has got his recent gavelhouse purchase Huckleberry into his happy place as the six-year-old The Pres gelding won again at Methven yesterday, making it two wins in a row, from just four starts for Palermo. 

“He’s just in a happy and healthy state at the moment,” said Palermo.

In the Shearmac Aluminium Ltd (Invited Drivers Challenge) Trot, Sam Thornley and Huckleberry began well from barrier one to end up three-back the markers. From there Thornley sat patiently until the passing lane presented, with Huckleberry doing the rest to nab pacemaker What The Bell short of the post, winning by one and three-quarter lengths. 

“He’s going good.”

Huckleberry was acquired after Palermo actively started looking for an additional horse for his barn. 

“I saw him on gavelhouse. We always wanted an old trotter, and I saw him and thought he’d be worth a crack.” 

Formerly trained by Lauren Pearson, and Brent McIntyre before her, Huckleberry had won one from 18 before joining Palermo, and is raced by Palermo’s wife Kylie, his brother Daniel and his partner Tanya, along with their mother Margaret.

“He’d been racing some pretty strong company down south. I thought the Wednesday meetings would be his go. But he’s actually going a lot better than I thought he would.

“I’ve played around with his shoeing a little bit, but I just think the change of scenery has really helped him.”

Huckleberry will next be aimed at the Rangiora meeting on April 26. 

Palermo currently trains a team of four, including one-win trotter Royal Grace, who is likely to head to the Cheviot meeting this week for her fresh-up run, having last raced in December last year.  

“She’s a tricky horse to train. She’s got the ability. So it’s a starting point this week for her new campaign.” 

Other highlights from yesterday included Bruntwood Brigade’s continued success when he took out ‘The Brown Pub Methven’ Mt Hutt TC Cup for trainers Robert and Jenna Dunn with John Dunn in the sulky, while the Invited Drivers Competition was taken out by team Leading Ladies. 

Final standings were :

Leading Ladies 19 (Samantha Ottley, Sheree Tomlinson, Crystal Hackett)
Premiership Leaders 18 
Rising Stars 16
Methven Locals 13