3 minute read
It has been a tough little stretch for Goulburn Valley trainer Steve Duffy, who was forced to put horses on the backburner for parts of 2024 as he concentrated on treatment for a prostate cancer diagnosis.
But after a rigorous radiation regime, the 62-year-old is feeling well and has ramped up his operation at Congupna, near Shepparton.
He now has a team of nine in work, including the established free-for-all campaigner Serg Blanco, who will go in search of a long-awaited victory at Melton Entertainment Park this Saturday night.
Duffy admits the recent cancer treatment took his eye off the ball and saw him miss nominating the son of Bettors Delight for the Inter Dominion carnival in New South Wales, which starts Friday.
"I didn't realise the nominations were there and that was right in the middle of my treatment. I just wasn't looking and I just missed it," Duffy said.
"It (the treatment) knocked me around a little bit, but I wasn't working many and just cut down. I've just started to get a few back now.
"I finished the radiation about three weeks ago. I feel good."
While there won't be an Inter Dominion campaign this time around, Duffy and his wife Julie know what it's like to taste success in the sport's most iconic race. The pair owned Boncel Benjamin, who was awarded the 2021 pacing grand final at Menangle on protest when stewards declared he was unfairly denied victory by first-past-the-post Expensive Ego.
Duffy said the major country cups early next year – including his hometown Shepparton feature on January 11 – were high on the agenda for Serg Blanco, as was a trip north through the middle of 2025.
"I've sort of set him now that he can race in these country cups in January and February. Then I'll give him a little break and I might even take him up to Queensland for the winter," he said.
Duffy said the former New Zealander, whose last win was in the 2023 Yarra Valley Pacing Cup, had finally overcome a liver issue which took a string of veterinary visits to rectify.
"Last year he ran second in the Bendigo Cup to Max Delight and then in the Shepp Cup he was terrible. That's when we did the blood test. I had him in at Ballarat and had to scratch because we couldn't get him right," Duffy recalled.
"While his liver count was so high, he just couldn't perform at his best. He could perform to, the vets would say, around 80 per cent.
"He was still racing okay, but he just wasn't flying at that time.
"He's come back now and he's really good at the moment. He looks a million dollars."
Serg Blanco has turned in a number of impressive displays this campaign and will start from barrier eight in Saturday night's Hip Pocket Castlemaine Free For All.
He will trail out pole-maker Young Bluey, with Operative Line (two), Bulletproof Boy (nine) and Triple Eight (10) appearing the other key winning chances.
"He probably gets a chance if the one holds up on Saturday night," Duffy said.
Other highlights on the Melton card include two heats for the Gordon Rothacker Memorial Championship and the Benstud Standardbred Youthful Stakes for the two-year-old colts and geldings.
