Kingaroy’s Rosie Schmidt and Sharyn Garrett were having a great time in the big crowd that turned out for Kumbia’s annual Melbourne Cup Day race meeting on Tuesday

November 5, 2015

Omen punters looking for a hot Melbourne Cup tip could have done worse than pay attention to Hannah English’s three-length win in the first race of the day at Kumbia’s traditional Melbourne Cup meeting.

It turned out to be a big day for female jockeys, with Michelle Payne’s historic victory at Flemington, and English booting home two more winners at Kumbia.

English guided 10-year-old veteran Jam Tin over the line to secure the 2015 Huston Motors Kumbia Cup by a neck; and in the next race – the Jim Lenihan Memorial – she enjoyed a two-length win aboard Lucks In, a horse owned by a syndicate that included a member of the Lenihan family, Jim’s brother Brian.

There didn’t seem to be many punters who had much luck with this year’s Melbourne Cup.

But this didn’t sour the mood at the Kumbia racetrack, which hosted one of its biggest Cup Day meetings in several years in near-perfect weather.

As usual, racegoers came from all over south-east Queensland to be a part of 44-year-old event.

In addition to buses from Kingaroy, other buses came from Nanango and Booubyjan; and vistors attended from the Sunshine Coast, Woolooga, Widgee, Toowoomba, Jondaryan, Jandowae and Bell.

This year’s Fashions Of The Field competitions attracted a bumper roll-up, and judges had a difficult time selecting winners from the large numbers of fashionably attired entrants.

The Kumbia Race Club’s wine and cheese marquee – which stretched right up to the steps of race club’s canteen – was packed for most of the day, while other guests took advantage of shade trees to set up marquees of their own in the parking lot.

The club’s bar and betting ring were also kept busy for most of the day.

Naturally, all action stopped and all eyes were glued to the TVs when the Cup was being run.

But the trackside action resumed as soon as the Melbourne Cup results were declared, and continued unabated until the end of the fifth race.

Kumbia Race Club officials said they were delighted with the turnout, and also very pleased that last week’s wet weather had decided to take a breather for the day.

The rain had come at just the right time to spruce up the track, they said, but it had also gone away at just the right time.

Jandowae Race Club president Bruce Davis stopped for a chat in the betting ring with veteran race caller Barry Jones; Kumbia’s Cup Day was the last meeting Barry will call after a 48-year career in the racing industry
Mayor Wayne Kratzmann and his wife Eleanor share a joke with Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington, centre
Beck Cross, Jules Entwistle and Barb Dearos – all from Kumbia – had a fun Melbourne Cup Day at the track
Members of the QRRRWN’s Barambah branch hired a bus to come to the track … they included Michelle Sanewski, from Booubyjan; Lesley Thun, from Windera; and Carmel Zelinski, from Booubyjan
In addition to their bus, QRRRWN Barambah branch members Gloria Kirkness, Kayleen Freeman, Claire Kapernick and Mandy Bishop also booked a big table at the track’s marquee
Carol Nicholson and Michelle Doran share a laugh with Constables Peter Horn, Bell, and Adam Entwistle, Kumbia
Kumbia’s Riley Wilson, Matt Simpkins and Teagan Morris cut a stylish Cup Day threesome trackside
Toowoomba visitor Janie Bunk, centre, had a great day at the track, winning the Ladies Fashions Of The Field against strong competition; she was presented with her prizes by Eleanor Kratzmann, from The Bunyas, and Verelle O’Shanesy, from the Jondaryan Race Club
Another distant visitor who was rewarded for making the trip to the Cup Day meeting was fashionable Piper Johnston, centre, from Obi Obi, who won the “Most Unique Style” award
Kumbia’s Trevor Barbour went home with a giant esky when he won the “Best Dressed Man” competition
Division 4 council candidate and Men’s Fashions entrant Andrew Saal had a chat with Kumbia’s Tony Pantlin

* * *

The winner of this year’s Huston Motors Kumbia Cup was Jam Tin … winning jockey Hannah English and Pat Richardson, mother of owner Kylie Geran, were presented with the Cup and a commemorative throw rug by Ken Goodhew, from Huston Motors, and Kumbia Race Club president Brian Lenihan

Race Results

Race 1 – Rob Stewart Memorial (Carline Mufflers/SB Times/The Gums) Class B Handicap (900m)
1. Squeemi (4) – Hannah English
2. Hot Scent (3) – Leeanne McCoy
3. Cast Out (5) – Melissa Cox
Time: 0:49:80
Margins: 3 lengths x 1 1/4 lengths

Race 2 – Verelle O’Shanesy Millinery/McDonalds/Hot FM 89.1 Maiden Plate (1000m)
1. Crack Of Dawn (5) – Damion McIntosh
2. Lillian Eliza (6) – Jason Missen
3. Craiglea Dixie (8) – Lyall Appo
Time: 0:57.92
Margins: Half head x 1 1/4 lengths

Race 3 – SB Regional Council/Anderson’s Produce/Carrollee Hotel QTIS Class 1 Handicap (1200m)
1. Dangerous Danica (5) – Nathan Evans
2. Craiglea Deken (1) – Robert Faehr
3. Flinders Deagon (2) – Jason Missen
Time: 1:09.75
Margins: 1/2 length x 5 3/4 lengths

Race 4 – Huston Motors Kumbia Cup Open Handicap (1200m)
1. Jam Tin (4) – Hannah English
2. Writtenintherain (2) – Leeanne McCoy
3. Brady ‘N’ Me (5) – Lyall Appo
Time: 1:09:20
Margins: A neck x 2 lengths

Race 5 – Jim Lenihan Memorial (Kumbia Race Club/BGA Agriservices/Lion XXXX/Kingaroy Real Estate) BM 55 Handicap (1400m)
1. Lucks In (2) – Hannah English
2. Famechon Baroness (1) – Nathan Evans
3. King Bing (5) – Robert Faehr
Time: 1:21.80
Margins: 2 lengths x 1 length

The sentimental winner was in the last race of the day, which was won by Hannah English aboard Lucks In, owned by a syndicate that included one prominent member of the Lenihan family; a detailed report about it will appear in this Friday’s Gunsynd’s Gossip

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