Palermo's moment in the sun

Michael Palermo waited 10 years for Friday night. 

So, when his maiden trotter, Rum In The Sun, dished up a trotting masterclass in the maiden trot at Addington, the highly-regarded horseman was more the justified in being over the moon. 

The win gave Palermo his first tick in the win column as a trainer.

“I’ve been waiting a while for it, so it’s good to finally have it off the back,” Palermo said. 

“Hopefully the second one doesn’t take quite as long.”

From limited opportunities, Palermo has had a horse in work when time has allowed, while also balancing his work at the Premier Stables of Tim Butt where he has been a senior staff member for more than a decade. 

Palermo travelled with and looked after Mr Feelgood at the 2009 Interdominions on the Gold Coast which the former American pacer won. 

Despite gaining enough satisfaction out of watching horses he has had an involvement with at the Butt stables be successful, the drive has always been there to train a winner on his own accord. 

And even with Rum In The Sun it hasn’t been easy. 

“I’ve always rated him a bit, he trotted a quarter in 30 seconds as a yearling.

“But we couldn’t quite get the trotting business sorted out.”

In his first six starts, the best offered up was an encouraging fourth mixed in between some gallops. 

“Jonny Cox always said if we could get the trotting thing sorted we would have some fun. 

“Then we discovered his bone chips so we had them removed and ever since then he’s been spot on.”

Palermo took the son of Bacardi Lindy into Friday night without a workout or a trial but it never showed as the powerful trotter left his rivals gasping after sitting off of a hot speed and joining in before running away with the race. 

“I knew he was ready, we just needed them to trot a long a bit and they did so it all worked out pretty well.”

The 1:58 mile rate, and an overall time of 2:23.8 put into some context would translate to Rum In The Sun winning seven of the eight editions of the Summer Trotting Free-For-All. 

Rum In The Sun is owned by Palermo’s wife, Kylie, who is the daughter of Hororata trainer David Moore who tasted success recently with Carter Michael. 

Moore’s other daughter, Tania was the one who pointed Palermo towards Rum In The Sun while she was working at Roydon Lodge. 

“She rang and said she had found me a horse and that it was pretty well bred. 

“We went out to have a look and Kylie spotted one she liked in the paddock and it turned out to be the horse we were out there to see so we took him home with us.”

Raced on lease from Keith Gibson, Rum In The Sun most definitely has some breeding on his side. 

His grand-dam, Simone Roydon was a half-sister to the brilliant Sundon and the gelding’s blood traces back through to many outstanding trotters over the years. 

Palermo said he would look to return to the races in a fortnight with the five-year-old.