June 27, 2014
by Ross Stanley
The riding displays by Tommy Berry and apprentice Tegan Harrison were a real highlight of the Eagle Farm meeting last Saturday.
Tommy Berry timed his run to perfection to collect the Tattersall’s Tiara on Cosmic Endeavour, while Tegan Harrison showed a canny judge of pace to steal the Tattersall’s Cup on The Inventor, having sneaked off with the Ipswich Cup with similar front-running tactics on Brave Ali a week earlier.
Although the two hoops have been on the crest of a wave in recent years, their humbler beginnings are worth revisiting.
Julie Berry drove many miles when the careers of her twin sons Tom and Nathan were in the embryonic stage.
Although the lads were apprenticed to their Warwick Farm trainer-father Kevin, it was rural areas that provided them with their early grounding.
Tommy, for instance, was champion Country Apprentice for both the South-East and Canberra districts in 2007.
Harrison, whose mother Beverley Want was a successful Northern Rivers rider in the 1980s, started out with Wayne Lawson at Grafton, her childhood stamping ground, before switching to David Kelly’s base at the Gold Coast.
During that tenure, she went “on loan” to Mount Isa trainer Denise Ballard to get a crack at breaking her duck.
And it was during this six week term that Centgeorge opened her account by taking out the Julia Creek Cup.
She then doubled her score by booting home Equivocal later that day.
Bruce Hill, Tegan’s present master, ensured she had plenty of experience at the provincials before he would allow her to enter the city midweek competition.
Her “stablemate” Quade Krogh also travelled widely to begin harvesting a crop.
His four wins thus far were registered were at Murwillumbah, Beaudesert, Injune and Roma, but he has drawn a blank at more than a dozen other venues ranging from Yeppoon to Longreach to Charleville.
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For the future of racing, I think it is vital that the industry encourage rookie riders stay with the game.
The attrition rate simply through weight problems alone means that new hopefuls have to be constantly introduced to the ranks.
Disenchantment, injuries and lack of success are other obvious deterrents.
Critics see country racing as an unnecessary drain on the industry’s coffers.
But others appreciate the vital fact that – as well as batch of other purposes – country racing is an investment in the long term future of key personnel.
True, things aren’t always easy.
Difficulties arise on several fronts when programs draw small numbers of acceptors.
But a balancing act is required when designing processes to prevent the waste of funds, and also to safeguard the needs of stakeholders.
For example, there were 32 acceptors for this weekend’s six-race annual fixture at Laura.
The $9,000 Pioneer Cup (BM 75) Handicap and the $10,000 Laura Cup ended up with just four and five possible runners respectively.
But both these events – given the purses involved – could be deemed as “features” and were not axed.
I think this was a good call in this particular instance, but what’s the ultimate solution?
The recently introduced policy regarding Minimum Race Field Sizes across all levels is available for for perusal online if you’d like to see what the industry standard is right now.
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In other news, I’m pleased to report this week that our local ladies continue to thrive.
Last Saturday, Wondai trainer Norma King made it five wins for the yard with Flight Command once again in the limelight, this time at Mount Perry.
At the same meeting, Nanango’s Hannah Phillips chalked up her eighth winner in the past two months when she saluted on Spirited Kerrie.
This Saturday, Hannah has three bookings at Warwick and I’m sure all South Burnett readers wish her well.
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With a month of racing left for the 2013-14 racing season, interest in the various premierships is mounting.
Those seeking the honours in the South-East Country Racing Association’s district still have chances to add to their tally at Esk (5 July), Beaudesert (8 and 29 July), Wondai (12 July), Bundaberg (19 July) and Gympie (28 June and 26 July).
The last South Burnett race meeting of the current racing year will take place at Wondai on July 12.
This is always a fun mid-Winter meeting with lots to enjoy, and you can refresh your memory about what it was like last year by clicking here.
[UPDATED with corrections]
