August 3, 2014
Local trainers had little joy at the Nanango Cup race meeting on Saturday, scoring just one win and two placings against an onslaught of horses brought in from the Darling Downs, Sunshine Coast, Gympie and Brisbane to contest the popular meeting.
All the same, racegoers had a great day at the track with more than 120 packing out the Carrollee Hotel’s Cup Day marquee, and many more parading their best black and white outfits on the grounds.
The Nanango Cup meeting was also the official start of the South Burnett’s new racing season.
The local race club marked the occasion with the election of a new Racing Ambassador, a special Blessing Of The Jockeys ceremony, and the presentation of Premiership Awards for the best jockey, trainer and horse for the previous 12 months.
The club’s new Racing Ambassador is Nanango Show Society’s 2014 Rural Ambassador, Sheena Uebergang, who will take over the role held by Noel Trace since 2012.
Sheena’s appointment was announced by Nanango Race Club president John Lee at a special ceremony for invited guests held in a roped-off area of the canteen before the day’s events got underway.
Nanango Anglican parish minister Rev Avriel Green performed the annual Blessing Of The Jockeys ceremony in the club’s mounting yard at the conclusion of the first race.
Rev Green said this was the second year she’s conducted the ceremony, which asks that jockeys be blessed with safety and good health as they pursue their dangerous profession in the new racing year.
The ceremony was especially poignant this year following the death of popular jockey Desiree Gill in a fall at Caloundra last November. Gill rode the second placegetter, Harney, home in last year’s Nanango Cup.
Premiership presentations for the club’s best jockey, trainer and horse were handed out after Race 4.
This year, the trophy for Horse of the Year was won by Colonel Sodhi, owned by Brian Smith and trained by James Curtain, from Kumbia.
Brooke Ainsworth won the trophy for Jockey of the Year, while the Trainer of the Year award went to Bradley Hudson, from Oakey.
All eyes then turned to the track for the running of this year’s XXXX Gold/Carrollee Hotel Nanango Cup.
The race was won by second favourite Hillary’s Clang, which beat third favourite Glenthorn Avenue home by a length.
Betting ring front-runner Extreme Mover came in fifth.
Jockey Naoki Ogura and Toowoomba trainer Paul Facoory were presented with a special rug for Hillary’s Clang after the race to mark the occasion.
As usual, the Moffatdale Ridge Fashions Of The Field competition was strongly contested.
A large field of elegantly attired ladies and gents vied for prizes in the popular contest, which had a “Classic Black and White” theme.
Rachel Hood took out the women’s prize while Darryl Dove won’s the men’s competition.
Jockey Billy-Rose Derbyshire wasn’t quite able to equal her two wins from last year’s Cup meeting, and instead had to be content with a win in Race 6 aboard Sir Joel and a second in Race 3 with Pearls Destiny.
But female jockeys took wins in Race 1 (Vainacious – Natalea Summers), Race 3 (Cand – Tiffani Brooker) and Race 4 (Desert Lair – Rhiannon Payne).
And local trainers Glenn Richardson and Norma King had some small measures of joy, too.
Richardson’s horses Cand and Ede Fuse took out first and third placings in Race 3, while Norma King’s Master Vinne took out a second in the last race of the day.
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RESULTS
Race 1 – Bechly’s Transport Maiden Plate (800m)
1. Vainacious (10) – Natalea Summers
2. Elle Style (5) – Nathan Evans
3. Our Starlight (8) – Shenny Chan
Time: 0:47.17
Margins: 3 lengths x head
Race 2 – Deb Frecklington MP/Blessing Of The Jockeys Class 1 Handicap (1000m)
1. Living Image (3) – Pietro Romeo
2. Rodel (7) – Nathan Evans
3. Jandy Girl (11) – Matthew McGillvray
Time: 0:59.25
Margins: 1 long head x 1 length
Race 3 – McDonalds Kingaroy QTIS Maiden Handicap (1200m)
1. Canid (4) – Tiffani Brooker
2. Pearls Destiny (1) – Billie-Rose Derbyshire
3. Ede Fuse (6) – David Hayse
Time: 1:11.89
Margins: 2 lengths x head
Race 4 – Huston Nissan Benchmark 65 Handicap (1200m)
1. Desert Lair (3) – Rhiannon Payne
2. Lucks In (5) – Matthew McGillvray
3. Octavanus (7) – Billie-Rose Derbyshire
Time: 1:12.00
Margins: Long head x short head
Race 5 – XXXX Gold/Carrollee Hotel Nanango Cup Open Handicap (1600m)
1. Hillary’s Clang (2) – Naoki Ogura
2. Glenthorn Avenue (4) – Jason Missen
3. Gentle Giant (3) – Ian Coombes
Time: 1:34.92
Margins: Length x neck
Race 6 – Caltex Energy Class B Handicap (1600m)
1. Sir Joel (4) – Billie-Rose Derbyshire
2. Master Vinnie (8) – Jason Missen
3. Gettin’ Jiggywithit (2) – Matthew McGillvray
Time: 1:35.37
Margins: 1 1/4 lengths x long neck
