October 3, 2014
by Ross Stanley
Kumbia trainer James Curtain is playing his part as the sun shines on the new levels of prizemoney in Queensland.
On Saturday at the Gold Coast, Mighty Mo – a debutant two-year-old from his yard – has an assured start in the Sequalo Legacy-Spirit of Boom QTIS Plate for the males.
This is the first metropolitan event to be decided with the freshly minted $65,000 base-line purse.
Curtain also has Lady Wivenhoe engaged in the $7,000 Raising Hell at Maidenwell Maiden at Nanango’s Heritage Mardi Gras fixture.
The Lee Park program is a satisfying card, particularly when all the other meetings being held in the south-east at this time are factored in.
Nanango Race Club received 52 acceptors for its five contests while Kilcoy’s seven event TAB offering, with prize money levels ranging from $12,000 to $20,000, drew a total of 76 hopefuls.
Burnett district stables have got behind Nanango’s day with Norma King, Tony Williams, Barry Richardson, Lionel Richardson, Kaylene Hamilton, Debbie Hardy and Andrew Green also providing acceptors.
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Hoops From Here, There And Everywhere
It is fascinating to plot the pathways of jockeys around the country.
Beaudesert apprentice Brooke Richardson will be at Lee Park.
The Nanango premiership title holder, after this rare visit to the South Burnett, goes over the border to Ballina on Sunday.
Meanwhile Hong Kong rookie Shenny Chan and former Mauritian jockey Vishan Venkaya will add a global touch to Saturday’s local competition.
In Sydney, Brazilian jockey Joao Moreira, currently on the top branch of the tree in Asia, will partner He’s Your Man for the Chris Waller yard in the Epsom Handicap.
Waller will also use the widely travelled Hugh Bowman, and the South Africans Jeff Lloyd and Glynn Schofield in the $500,000 metric mile handicap.
Jay Ford, the partner of the retired international star Takeover Target, will be aboard the longshot Spy decoder.
Brisbane’s Jetset Lad (Anthony Allen) is rated 100/1 chance of entering the honour roll alongside fellow Queenslanders Captain Sonador, Kinjite, Gunsynd and Toi Port, the 1963-64 winner raced by Gayndah orchardist Jack Parr.
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My Fair Lady
In a roundabout way, fillies probably give owners a greater chance of making a profit. And the reason is simple.
Female gallopers have many more events restricted to their gender than do their male counterparts.
They can run in all the elite two-year-old events, all the Guineas and Derbies and all the top tier black type competitions.
Features such as Tatts Tiara, the Myer Classic, the Queen of the Turf, the Coolmore Classic, the Sydney spring triple crown and all the Oaks renewals are just some of the rich races reserved for “ladies only” around the nation.
Ironically, Sydney’s time-honoured Gimcrack Stakes for two-year-old fillies is named after an 18th century evergreen grey stallion that scored 27 times from 36 outings in England.
The entire was unraced until aged four and became the subject of artwork by George Stubbs.
“Don’t tell the girls” I have written this segment. Keep mum about it should you be in speaking distance of the mare of that name that aims to breakthrough in the Nanango Men’s Shed Maiden at Lee Park on Saturday.
She is the omen tip of all omen tips!!!
Interestingly, six of the race’s seven acceptors are fillies or mares.
And on a day when tartan is the Moffattdale Ridge Fashions on the Field theme, the equine winner will have to be Hot Ice.
The grey by Top Echelon will sport livery comprised of tartan, a red band and red armbands in the Heritage Nanango Country Muster BM 55 Handicap.
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Bits And Bridles
- Flemington’s $500,000 Turnbull Satkes is a “must watch” affair for folk looking to find the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup winers. The Gilgai has massive fascination for the Sunshine State with River Lad ($11), Temple of Boom ($4.60) and Final Crescendo ($26) all hoping that Chautauqua has an off day.
- Jockey Steven Arnold reportedly indicated that Aimee did not handle the Melbourne way of going last Sunday. Gold Coast four-year-old Teronado suffered a career threatening injury when he was galloped on in the Main Stakes a fortnight ago.
- Peter Blackwell and Rhiannon Payne team up again at Kilcoy on Sunday with Count Romano, the Latarmiss gelding that finished a sound fourth last weekend at Toowoomba.
- Racing NSW and Racing Victoria websites now provide race replays at no charge. Racing Queensland recently announced that RQ has an agreement with Sky Racing to publish race vision and video replays and that the organisation is currently working on a video replay website that will allow race videos from TAB venues to be replied up to one month after the conclusion of the race meeting.
- I’m looking forward to a bumper day at Lee Park. The Tartan on the Track theme is novel, and the absorbing local action will be supported by the television coverage from Sydney and Melbourne of four Group Ones and 14 other black-type events – see you there!
