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By Ray Hickson

It’s unheard of for the Hawkesbury training partnership of Mitch and Desiree Kearney to have 13 two-year-olds nominated for the $5 million Golden Slipper next year.

Mitch and Desiree Kearney with Lady Shenanigans (Pic: Bradley Photos).

It’s also unusual for them to be a player in the opening two-year-old races of the season.

But Mitch Kearney says it’ll be a special moment when Iambubb debuts in the Group 3 $250,000 Arrowfield Breeders’ Plate (1000m) and Oh Yes She Did in the Group 3 $250,000 Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday thanks to the backing of an old friend.

Owner Daniel Springfield could have turned to anyone when he and partner Jasmine wanted to get more involved in racing, thanks to a windfall, but a family connection landed a bunch of well bred yearlings on Kearney’s doorstep.

“He and his partner were lucky enough to win the Lotto, I’ve known him ever since I was a kid,’’ Kearney said.

“We played footy together. I played footy with Daniel’s elder brother and he played footy with my brother. The families were always friends.

“He’d had micro shares in horses before and once he got some money he rang me, I was at Wyong races with the old horse Lady Shenanigans.

"When I was parading the horse I didn't realise he was at Wyong and he yelled out to me, we spoke more about it and ended up at the Classics.”

Kearney said he’s grateful for the opportunity, naturally, and when he and Desiree took four youngsters to the official two-year-old trials and walked away with two winners they were stoked.

That duo, both Golden Slipper entrants, earned the right to step out on Epsom Day and to see how they measure up.

“It was exciting, more a bit of pressure off because he could have gone anywhere and he decided to go to us,’’ he said.

“I know it’s only trials but it was exciting to get a result for them.

"I’ve got an opinion of the two of them on Saturday and there are a few at home who aren’t up to their mark yet we have a better opinion of.

“It makes it easier to get out of bed at 4am. Especially after the trials, everyone had a spring in their step and it’s a good vibe to be around.”

Oh Yes She Did, a $240,000 purchase, clocked 50.58 as she raced away with her 850m heat on the Kensington track and in doing so she showed Kearney maturity you don’t often see at this stage of the season.

A slightly wide draw hasn’t changed his opinion that the filly, by 2019 TAB Everest winner Yes Yes Yes, has her share of talent.

“Ever since the day she was broken in, it was like she’d been broken in before, she was very professional in everything she did,’’ he said.

“She always wanted to learn and loved doing her work.

“I don’t mind the gate for her, being out there. We’ll hopefully get a nice run in the two or three wide line and hopefully come off their backs like she did in the trial and finish over the top.”

The colt Iambubb, who was a $270,000 buy by I Am Invincible, recorded a similar time in winning his heat and what Kearney learned about him was he’s a little bit brave.

He said most of his work has been done outside horses but jockey Tyler Schiller asked him to take an inside run to win his trial which showed a new side to the youngster.

Oh Yes She Did wins a Kensington trial on September 22

“He looked like he was hard ridden but Tyler made a good point when he came back,’’ he said.

“He asked whether he went to the outside when you gallop him. He’s never gone up the inside and there wasn’t much room and he didn’t hesitate to take the run.

“When we were at the sales he was a standout, he had a presence about him, and he was one Des said we had to take home.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Epsom meeting at Randwick