Having answered an SOS and stepped into the breach left by Ciaron Maher’s enforced holiday, popular trainer Aaron Purcell is preparing to return to Warrnambool full-time in a few weeks.
On April 1, Purcell departs the Maher stables at Caulfield, where he’s been the caretaker trainer while his long-time mate served six months’ suspension.
Dividing his week between overseeing 80 horses at Caulfield and 25 at his Warrnambool base, he has also had to find time for family commitments in Port Fairy with wife Wendy and children Isaac and Helena.
Purcell is looking forward to coming home, even though he was sounded out about having a permanent stable in Melbourne.
“I’ve decided to train from Warrnambool only once Ciaron returns,” he said. 
“I’ll be putting my family first. My family have been really supportive to me since I took over training Ciaron’s horses. 
“I’ve really enjoyed training well bred, expensive horses but it’s now time to go back. 
“It’s been a wonderful experience which has been very rewarding as it’s undoubtedly helped my training career. 
“I contemplated opening a stable in Melbourne but I’ve knocked that idea on the head.”
Purcell, who has trained two Group 1 winners and three Group 2 winners among nearly 50 wins in the past five months, gets his chance for more Group 1 glory when Aloisia runs in the $1 million Australian Guineas this Saturday and Merchant Navy in the $1.25 million Newmarket Handicap on Saturday week.
“I’m still pinching myself that I’ve already trained the two Group 1s and three Group 2s,” he said. 
“I’ve also trained a few other black-type winners so I can’t complain.
“If Aloisia or Merchant Navy happened to win it would be tremendous but I’ve got no complaints with my record. I’m just thankful that Ciaron gave me the chance to enjoy such a wonderful experience. 
“My aim when I took over Ciaron’s stables was to leave them in good shape. 
“I’ve been very lucky because I’ve had great staff at Caulfield and Warrnambool. There’s some really nice young horses at Caulfield and I’ll be watching their careers closely in the future.”
King the next big thing?
Ex-Queenslander Canterbury King caught the eye of keen track watchers with an impressive jumping trial at Warrnambool last Friday.
Canterbury King, now in the care of Warrnambool trainer Peter Lafferty, ran second in his 2400-metre hurdle trial. 
From nine flat runs for Lafferty, the lightly raced five-year-old has a win and two seconds. He came to Lafferty as an 11-start maiden.
Lafferty, son of late Warrnambool training legend Kevin, ran Canterbury King in a 2350-metre flat race last Thursday at his home track. He ran fourth, before backing up the next day for the hurdle trial.
“We’re trying to keep a lid on it,” he said. 
“(Jumps jockey) Shane Jackson is really impressed with him — says he’s really fit.” 
Canterbury King may make his debut over jumps in a maiden hurdle at Warrnambool on March 15. He will trial again six days earlier.
Kel gets head down
Irish jumps jockey Martin Kelly loved going home to Kilmore Quay in County Wexford to visit family and friends for an 11-day break over the Christmas period but has got stuck straight back in to it on his return to the stable of his boss, veteran trainer Eric Musgrove.
Kelly is looking forward to the 2018 jumps season.
“I had 11 days’ break and had a great time,” he said. “My weight ballooned out to 75 kilos so I needed to get back into some hard work for Eric when I came back. 
“I’ve now got my weight under control and I’m looking forward to a good jumps season.”
Kelly rode the Musgrove-trained Thubiaan to win the Brierly and Von Doussa steeplechases in 2015 and the Great Eastern in 2016.