From a kid in Albany to a trainer in Melbourne’s Spring Carnival, Rory Hunter dares to dream in Victoria Derby

With a strong upbringing in the racing industry, going back to when his father was a trainer in Albany — emerging young horseman Rory Hunter is daring to dream ahead of one of Australia’s biggest race days. Hunter will saddle up exciting three-year-old Autumn Mystery in the Group 1 $2m Howden Victoria Derby (2500m) on Saturday, one of the biggest events on the Melbourne spring racing calendar. Autumn Mystery handed Hunter his biggest win as a trainer, claiming the Group 3 Sportsbet Classic at Caulfied earlier this month, setting him on a path to Derby Day. A $12 chance with TABtouch in the big field of 16 runners for Saturday’s feature race, Autumn Mystery was dealt a blow after drawing barrier 17. However Hunter and jockey Blake Shinn remain confident The Autumn Son gelding can play a big part in the finish. “It’s unreal to be part of the carnival,” Hunter said. “We came up ordinary in the barriers but if he can be finishing off strong I’m confident he will be in the finish. “He bounced out of the (Classic) really well, had his final gallop on Tuesday morning and we are very happy with him heading into the race. “Ciaron Maher’s horse will be very hard to beat but with a bit of luck in running I’m sure we can be there at the end.” Hunter’s father Steve was a successful trainer in Albany before the family moved back to Victoria when he was 12. His cousin Paul is a veteran trainer in Albany while his second cousin is former jockey turned trainer Mitchell Pateman. “I’m born and bred in Albany,” he said. “Dad spent a great part of his life over there and had a horse called Mr Till who ran second in the William Reid Stakes. “I was pretty young (in Albany) but I was always around the stables and the horses. “I wanted to be a jockey but got too big though training was the next best thing. “I’ve had a good grounding and worked with some of the best including Peter Moody and Mick Price . . . being around good horses has helped me go in this direction.” Hunter is based out of Mornington, with his stable near the racecourse, and it is very much a family operation. He has 10 horses in work and a capacity of 20, with the desire to build up a bigger team, hopefully on the back of a dream Victoria Derby triumph.