Herlihy might have his next top trotter
Garrick Knight - Raceform • May 29th, 2025 4:00 PM • 5 min read
He doesn’t give much away, our most successful driver Tony Herlihy.
But if you listen closely when he talks about sophomore trotter Youneverknow, the clues are there that he thinks he might be on to something.
Herlihy has been blessed over the past decade to have trained two ultra-successful top-class trotters in Temporale and Bolt For Brilliance.
So he knows what he’s looking for in a young horse and, based on recent racing, it’s fair to surmise that Herlihy believes this latest prospect isn’t too far off the speed of those predecessors at the same age.
“He’s just kept improving and has done everything I’ve asked of him,” Herlihy told RaceForm. “He’s gotten a bit stronger from that early two-year-old racing and is really starting to grow up now.”
Youneverknow was an impressive winner at Alexandra Park last Friday night, bursting up the passing lane to victory, and he will return this week facing a stiffer test.
Last Friday was his second win and followed a brave second placing behind the brilliant Meant To Be in the Gr. 1 Sires Stakes 3YO Trotters Championship.
At the time of writing, Youneverknow was $2.50 equal favourite for Friday night’s $35,000 TAB – Metro Trotters Final at Alexandra Park alongside another promising three-year-old in Higher Power. They’ve drawn one and two this week and look very hard to topple.
“I wouldn’t mind ten dollars of the quinella if they end up lead and trail,” quipped Herlihy. “He’ll certainly be hard to beat again this week, and it’s just matter of where he settles in the run.”
Higher Power has shown tendencies to run up the track and may not be especially suited to the ace draw and Herlihy may well be able to cross to the front.
“We’ll come out as good as we can and see where that lands up. I wasn’t pushing him last week and there’s probably a bit more there if I asked.”
Youneverknow has both manners and versatility in his arsenal and that’s going to make him tough to bowl this week and a hot commodity in years to come.
“I think he’ll get stronger too, and in another six months or so we might really have something. He’s pretty mature-looking and reasonably athletic, but the scope is there to develop more.
“I haven’t spoken to the owners yet, but I wouldn’t mind giving him a bit of a freshen up after this week and then get him ready for the nice races later in the season.”
Youneverknow is part-owned by Cambridge Raceway CEO Dave Branch along with his parents, Murray and Susan, partner Brad Molander, Wentwood Grange founders, Des and Jan Hawkins, and Chloe Cumming, the Flemington-based assistant trainer to Andrew Forsman.
Molander works at Wentwood Grange as the yearling manager, and Youneverknow was born and raised there and does all his agistment there. Susan Branch is a semi-retired horsewoman herself that has had great success with Romeo Foxtrot this season.
“Susan actually came and asked me at the races if I’d take him,” said Herlihy. “They thought he might be a decent young horse and thought a working him with other horses would help his development.”
It’s fair to say Herlihy has not regretted saying yes for one moment.
In the night’s other feature, the $35,000 TAB – Metro Pacers Final, Herlihy will have a pair of leading contenders including the early $3 favourite.
Double Parked has gone from strength to strength this campaign and has been very impressive winning his last two outings. He’s a big boy and is well into his four-year-old year with only 11 starts under the belt.
“I’ve had to be patient with him,” said Herlihy. “He was a bit of a larrikin, and I gave him a good spell after he qualified because he had a bit of growing up to do.
“Then he had another break because he wasn’t quite there yet, and this it’s only now we are starting to see what he’s capable of. Credit to the team that own him too, because they’ve been waiting on him for quite a while now.”
But they are looking like being rewarded handsomely.
Herlihy is hoping for an ounce of luck from two on the second line following out veteran Benjamin Button, a horse that is not usually driven for speed early.
“There’s obviously quite a bit of speed on the front line though and I’m hopefully we can still get a run through.”
Roy Kent is drawn four and was outright third favourite at $6.50 when the market opened on Tuesday.
“He’s a good, honest horse and the sort of horse that, if they got a bit harder, it’s definitely going to suit him. They’re both in with a chance, I think.”
Rounding out his Friday night team is maiden pacer The Revenant, fresh up for 10 months and drawn the inside of the second line behind one that did not begin all that well last time.
“There’s probably two or three a bit better than him in there. He’s in with a chance, but he’s only a little guy and I would say he might need an easier race to win his maiden.”
Herlihy will drive three of his stable runners, with foreman Tony Cameron jumping in the cart behind Roy Kent.
