November 28, 2014
by Ross Stanley
It is always pleasing to see gallopers that have performed well on South Burnett tracks prosper when they take on stronger company elsewhere. At Roma’s signature meeting last Saturday, Aashiq and Miss Mega Hertz were two such examples.
Aashiq ($21) went superbly over the sandy, metric mile of the $55,000 Roma Cup.
Sarah Eilbeck had little choice but to push forward from the outside gate.
The chestnut responded stoutly to his pacemaking assignment, fighting on determinedly before going down by three parts of a length.
The General Nediym gelding that cost its original owner $90,000 at the 2010 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale added the $11,000 runner-up cheque to recent earnings derived from a win at Gayndah and his Cup triumphs at Wondai and Kumbia.
Miss Mega Hertz successfully followed up her easy victory at Wondai last month in the $30,000 Country Queensland Showcase Open (1000m).
With Shannon Apthorpe in the irons, the Show A Heart mare from Patrick Sexton’s Oakey yard took another step towards a possible crack at the $200,000 Magic Millions Sprint at the Gold Coast on 10 January.
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A Mixed Grill For Evans
Aashiq almost got to take a tiny stride to the winner’s circle by the back door.
After the Cup, Shane Egan, the jockey on the fifth placegetter Oforawesome, viewed the patrol film to determine if he would protest against the winner Tints (Nathan Evans) on the grounds of alleged interference on entering the home straight.
Egan, beaten four lengths, did not proceed with an objection.
However Evans was subsequently given a seven meeting suspension after he pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding.
Near the 250 metre point, the Toowoomba hoop had permitted his mount to shift out when insufficiently clear, a move that resulted in Oforawesome blundering.
Apart from that error, Evans did a fine job to get the favourite to handle the non-turf surface at her Roma debut.
Nathan has the ability to deliver from anywhere in the field and he certainly presented the Tycoon Ruler mare as the fresh horse on the scene at the crucial moment.
Meanwhile, Evans and Canid banked more money with a close second in the $15,000 Benchmark 60 Handicap (1640m).
The gelding that cost Glenn Richardson just a rattle of silver – $400 to be precise – deposited another $2900 in what has been remarkable career with the Nanango trainer.
The Elusive City gelding rarely starts at less than double figure odds.
The money-spinner’s form line for this season is 8: 2-2-1-2.
His overall partnership with Evans stands at 4 for 1-1-0-2.
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Bits And Bridles
- The Nanango Race Club has been working very hard on its new website. While it is still a work in progress with a few photographic aspects to be bedded down, the site is effectively very functional. Users are advised that the previous version at www.nanangoraceclub.com is no longer operating. Nominations for NRC’s Shades of Christmas meeting at Lee Park on Saturday, December 6 close on Tuesday at 11:00am. The card is headed by the Malcolm McCallum Memorial QTIS Maiden (1200m), an event that carries a $12,000 purse for runners that are QTIS eligible.
- Kumbia’s James Curtain took Amber Ale (Chris Munce, $41) to Doomben last weekend.The Sequalo seven-year-old was not disgraced, winding up five and a half lengths adrift of the winner Treatmelikealady in NMW grade over 1110 metres. On Saturday Rhiannon Payne will be aboard the bay rig in the $7,000 Open Handicap at Dalby where a key rival will be the top weight Tornadoes (Hannah Phillips).
- Gympie has a great day set down for this Saturday. The next meeting there is not scheduled until March 2015.
- Nanango trainer Wayne Farrington and apprentice Hannah Phillips combined for a second placing at Gatton last Saturday with the lightly-raced maiden Shovog mare Miss Alexandra ($13)
- A barn at Werribee, the base for the international visitors, has been named after Red Cadeaux. While the regular blow-in from the Mother Country has gone frightfully well for an old chap, a colonial boy of the Depression era should be honourably mentioned in despatches as well. Shadow King contested six Melbourne Cups. The son of the imported Comedy King kicked off with a sixth (10/1) behind Nightmarch, Paquito and Phar Lap (evens) in 1929. In 1930, he ran third at 50/1 to Phar Lap (11/8 on). He was runner-up (25/) to White Nose in 1931 and third again as a shot to Peter Pan the following year. In 1933 he started at 33/1 and Hall Mark beat him by a head. The bay’s finale, at age ten, was in 1935. At 100/1, with Scobie Breasley in the pigskin, the tough gelding had to be content with a fourth placing. Red Cadeaux ($31) was beaten by the barest possible margin by Dunaden in 2011, was eighth to Green Moon in 2012, second ($61) to Fiorente in 2013 and again runner-up this year as a 20/1 chance to Protectionist.
