July 19, 2014
by Ross Stanley
This week there’s a line up of nibbles from a mixed feed bin to digest:
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Wondai Wrap-Up
Local trainer Norma King is certainly flying high at present.
Flight Command has come out of the clouds to land the money three times from its last five trips. After the gelding by General Nediym from the Fasliyev mare Touched In Flight won at Tara last October, he ran up a string of nine unplaced efforts.
The bay then spread his wings to effect at Nanango in May, failed on heavy ground at Goondiwindi, won at Mt Perry and was beaten 28 lengths at Warra before last week’s visit to the winner’s circle at Wondai.
On face value it’s a staggering about-face.
The Stewards Summary that tabulates relevant recent extracts as a form addition said simply that, at Warra, “Flight Command blundered at the start.”
However, perusal of the full report from the stipes sheds more light.
That particular race featured a false start.
All runners were returned to the birdcage and – after vet checks – all bar two were cleared to recontest the Cup.
Whilst a physical examination is obviously the major strategy in the decision making, it is not possible to check the psychological state of animals that are conditioned to go around just ONCE per episode.
Past experience has shown that some candidates are just “not with it” for the encore assignment.
Flight Command may or may not have been in that category. But those who did their homework by accessing the relevant stewards summaries and reports via the Calendar page of the Thoroughbreds section on the Racing Queensland website may have opted to put a line thorough that performance.
Vain Dazzler, King’s final starter for the day, was the vehicle for Hong Kong rookie Shenny Chan’s initial career victory.
Last Saturday, fellow fledgling rider Hannah Phillips was treated by ambulance bearers at Mungindi for a knee injury after striking the barrier gate heavily on jumping.
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The return of South Burnett “old boys” Carl Spry and trainer Pat Duff to a stamping ground bore fruit when they combined to score with Lily My Girl.
Spry switched from his riding stints in the Northern Territory and Canberra to South East Queensland when Toowoomba converted to its present grass surface.
His extraordinary logbook resembles a high speed travelogue – Spry’s last 19 bookings have yielded a 3-3-2 outcome.
The run, which kicked off at Warwick on 28 June, included Mackay (July 3), Warra (July 5), Pioneer Park at Alice Springs (July 6 ), Ipswich (July 11) and Wondai and Toowoomba (July 12).
Carl heads to Warwick and Toowoomba this Saturday and Alice Springs on Sunday.
His strike rate has improved. Earlier in the May-June period his sojourn in the Rockhampton, Mackay, Emerald and Thangool zone stood at 31:3-6-2.
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Riding Round-Up
Shane Scriven has been appointed Master of Apprentices, and the brief will involve interactions with junior riders at non-TAB meetings.
Racing Queensland Senior Training Manager Luke Millington has indicated that the strategy includes immediate race-day feedback for individuals using stewards race patrol footage.
Millington said that Scriven would be at the Nanango meeting on August 2.
Hopefully, this project will kick on strongly – there have been fits and starts in the past.
The late Desiree Gill did a power of work with new riders during her lifetime.
It would be fitting if this venture really provides a vitally needed educational initiative, particularly considering some apprentices have been recently downgraded from provincial to country status.
If they are being sent back down the ladder, there must be mechanisms in place to assist in the re-climbing process.
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Racing Ahead
Saturday’s rich Bundaberg Gold Cup card has attracted superb entry numbers.
Brisbane hoop Glenn Colless will be in action while the suspended Chris Munce will also be a trackside guest.
There is a sizeable Burnett representation targeting the fixture.
The final Saturday of the month and the season when the premierships are all decided will be at Gympie.
A week later, Nanango will open the new racing year with its XXXX Gold-Carrollee Hotel Nanango Cup Classic Black and White Race Day.
Kingaroy residents are reminded of the attractive $40 Marquee “value pack” that is on offer.
Details are available from the Carrollee Hotel by telephone, website and Facebook.
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Hoofnote: Last Saturday Racing NSW stewards asked about the improved performance of the Chris Waller trained Secret’s Choice, winner of last Saturday’s TAB Rewards Handicap at Randwick.
Wags smirked when noting that one of the premier trainer’s four (of eight) candidates was a steed called Done Nothin’ Wrong.
