April 2, 2015
With 59 acceptors for its Easter meeting, Nanango Race Club’s participants will easily outnumber Saturday’s other non-TAB fixtures scheduled for Barcaldine (31), Boulia (35), Bowen (44), Einasleigh (46), Flinton (38), Gladstone (30) and Roma (28).
Emerald will start no more than 33 on Sunday, while Augathella’s Monday card matches Nanango’s tally.
Roma’s agenda is exceptionally disappointing as there will be just four races at Bassett Park, despite the $10,000 purses.
Nanango is well placed geographically and, as usual, has attracted stables from a broad area.
On this occasion, the zone is bordered by Bundaberg, Beaudesert, Gympie and Roma.
Timing has also been favourable.
Since Kumbia’s program on March 14, the only grass non-TAB offering in the south-east district was at Monto last Saturday.
The next ones will be at Wonndai on April 25, and Burrandowan on May 9.
Folk who have not been to Lee Park are reminded that all the major parts are undercover.
Patrons can eat, drink, bet and watch the races without getting wet or sunburnt.
Given the field-sizes, the thoroughbred action will be exciting.
Racegoers at Nanango this weekend can watch Skychannel to see how $9.9 million is dispersed at Randwick.
The colossal card is headed by the $3m Doncaster Mile, the $2.5m T. J. Smith Stakes, the $2m Australian Derby and the $1m Sires Produce Stakes with a $200,000 minimum stake applicable for the other six events.
Punters at Nanango and Randwick will see the same television pictures of these races.
But the admission costs are somewhat different: a $10 fee at Lee Park versus a $50 turnstile charge for basic admission in Sydney.
Randwick’s second day on 11 April features the $4m Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the $1.6 m Sydney Cup, the $1m Australian Oaks and the $1m Queen of the Turf Stakes.
There is immense pressure on the Australian Turf Club to attract massive numbers.
Attendance levels at Rosehill’s Golden Slipper and BMW days were apparently nothing to enthuse over.
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Country Cousins’ Windfall
On the first two Saturdays in April, a set of connections from both country and provincial domains in New South Wales will score an incredible windfall at Randwick.
The relevant pair of cleverly constructed race series would be a mere fanciful notion without the government’s hefty eight-figure contribution to Sydney’s upcoming extravaganza.
The Country Championship Series is a contest for eligible horses that are under the care of a country trainer.
Each of the seven qualifying races in March at Bathurst (Central Districts), Port Macquarie (Mid North Coast), Tamworth (Hunter and North West), Wagga Wagga (Southern Districts), Grafton (Northern Rivers), Goulburn (South-East), Dubbo (Western) and Muswellbrook (Wildcard-All Regions) carried purse of $100,000.
The first two in each of these heats advanced to the $300,000 grand finale in Sydney.
The Provincial Championship Series, in which the trifecta horses in the lead-ups at Wyong, Kembla Grange, Newcastle, Hawkesbury and Gosford progress to the final, has the same money up for grabs.
Whilst Queensland authorities could not even dream of such gifts, the issue of equity should be addressed in this state.
The major special rural events here are the $20,000 Showcase races.
But the downside is that the venues are not rotated.
The NSW model has factored in a fairer distribution process.
Even the conditions of the occasional Country Cup on the Brisbane tracks favour provincial horses.
Of course, the main priority in the Sunshine State at present is to get the finances straightened out so the reconstruction of Eagle Farm can be fast tracked.
It is also vital to have the course woes at Toowoomba and Ipswich consigned to the archives.
With Doomben holding the fort, Brisbane racing needs a rain-free winter.
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Diverse Marketing Moves
Seven ladies from the Sunshine Coast ventured out to last Saturday’s Charleville meeting.
They made the journey in 2014 but missed the races by a week, a mistake they remedied this time around.
Their purpose was to catch up with a School of Distance Education teacher who was the eighth member of their very long term friendship group.
Although the concept of group visits to race meetings is far from new, the idea is rarely a direct part of marketing campaigns.
No doubt there are residents of the South-Burnett who would know of possible scenarios along this line.
The district is handy to a number of highly urbanised centres and, given its range of attractive activities, a weekend away in rural surroundings to coincide with a race day is very achievable.
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Bits And Bridles
- Although South Burnett trainers will saddle up eight candidates at Nanango on the weekend, two local sides will be on the move. James Curtain and his apprentice Rhiannon Payne team up with I Am Mclovin and Amber Ale at Roma. The yard also has aspirants Rugged Appeal and Lady Wivenhoe at Lee Park. Norma King’s Charleville placegetters Hidden Duck and Fiscal Cliff trek back to run at Flinton.
- At a time when horses from Britain and Japan – namely Hartnell and To The World – were filling the quinella slots in the BMW at Rosehill, their compatriots were saluting at Charleville. Ex-Bristol boy Sean Palmer picked up a double for Bevan Johnson, the Miles conditioner who is well known in the South Burnett. Palmer had the unusual weight problem of being too light for his preferred career. He wanted to be a jumps jockey but switched to the flat, landing a handful of winners at places such as Wolverhampton and Folkestone. His indentures are with Toowoomba trainer Mark Currie. The Johnson-Palmer unit also collected a double seven days earlier at Morven. Overall, the duo have united six times for four successes. Three weeks ago, Sean finished second on the Peter Overell trained Cadalora at Kumbia
- Kazu Nataka, a Nyngan based apprentice, worked in the information technology industry in Osaka before giving it up to fulfil his ambition to become a jockey. The now 31 year-old started out at the Traintech race-riding academy on the Gold Coast way back in 2007. It has been a long time “between sakes” for the keen jockey. His win on Mirfak was his first from 40 tries this season.
