April 9, 2015
There was the usual spectrum of highlights at Nanango’s popular Easter Saturday meeting.
Lead-up rain ensured there was some welcome give in the surface, and the surrounds painted a delightfully green picture, too.
Legendary Sunshine Coast trainer Trevor Miller provided the first winner when the Champions Gallery filly Mim’s Gallery seemingly found the drop in class and distance to her liking.
After being prominent all the way in the half-mile dash for jockey Pietro Romeo, the filly scooted away from her maiden rivals to score by more than two panels and collect her first paycheque at her fourth attempt.
Carrying Bernborough’s colours did not help Nuits St Georges (Billie-Rose Derbyshire) in the Thorps Jewellers Handicap (BM 60, 1600m).
The favourite, named after a place and a wine in France, wound up in fifth spot with the clear-cut honours going to the lightly raced Oakey Rubiton’s grandson I’m No Ruby.
Although the Jet Spur gelding, having scored for jockey Shannon Apthorpe and trainer Peter Kings a week earlier at Dalby, went up three and a half kilograms in the weights in the same class conditions, he sparkled in the stretch to outstay fellow Oakey competitor Bernadecio and the fast closing Count Romano in a thrilling drive to the wire.
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Melody Was On Song
The thirteen rides that preceded Toowoomba jockey Melody O’Brien’s Nanango bookings included three 30/1 shots, three 25/1 chances and two that started at 20s and 16s.
A winning double with Hussy Erin (9/4) and Moolah Miss (4/1) at Toowoomba’s Inner Track on March 21 was also in her mixed bag.
Melody’s phone should ring more often now with offers on shorter pieced prospects, though, because she rode superbly at Nanango, saluting on Small Change (Crown FM QTIS Maiden Plate, 1200m, 12/1) and Prince of Peace (Bendigo Bank Class B, 1200m, 9/2) for their respective conditioners, Toowoomba’s Ray Hawkswell and Oakey’s Patrick Sexton.
Confidence begets confidence.
By chalking up four recent winners, O’Brien is hopefully on an upward spiral.
Small Change’s earnings were far from little, too.
As a QTIS eligible runner, the Easy Rocking mare, at her first appearance since late October, picked up $8050 (including the $3,500 bonus) from Saturday’s effort.
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Phillips’ “Screwdriver” Headed Them Again
Nanango trainer Barry Philips and his daughter Hannah met up at the winner’s slot on Saturday, just as they did at the previous Lee Park meeting in February.
Again, the conveyance was Captain Clayton – a sprinter who is proving to be the real deal over the 1000 metre trip on his home patch.
The Danbird eight-year-old was asked to tote a mere half kilogram more this time around as he attempted to wrap up back-to-back Nanango Benchmark 65 handicaps.
A handy last start fifth in open grade at Kumbia ensured there would be no generous odds displayed.
Not surprisingly, the $3.30 fancy was always in a vanguard spot in transit, and the big cheque was in the mail not long after the pair sailed past the 200 metre peg.
The old bay, in winning by two and a half lengths, appeared to really enjoy his work.
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Writtenintherain Was Not A Write-Off
Although Imilche missed a place in Nanango’s Class B contest, his Dalby owner-trainer Graeme Postle has banked more than enough to prove you shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
When Writtenintherain comfortably took out the $10,000 Joyce and ‘Boy’ Reed Memorial Celebration Series Handicap (1200m) at Kumbia in mid-March, the six-year-old made it a remarkable 26:8-8-3 scoreline for the second phase of his racing life.
After two preparations for a Gold Coast stable, Writtenintherain was diagnosed with ringbone.
Given the pressure on thoroughbred feet at high speed, his owner, Gold Coast medico Roger Burgess, offered him to Postle for use as a hack.
However the sprinter recovered remarkably well after Graeme’s patient treatment, and Burgess told him he could have the horse if he could get him back to the track.
When Postle took up the challenge, the gelding’s previous 14 runs had produced six placings.
But at his very first outing after a nine month lay-off, the son of Written Tycoon and the Danehill mare Dantain showed what has become trademark tenacity and won a Goondiwindi Maiden by a nose.
Shannon Apthorpe was aboard for that September 2013 excitement.
James Curtain’s apprentice Rhiannon Payne, the pilot for the chestnut’s next six victories, missed the Kumbia fixture.
She had journeyed to Rockhampton (and scored on Hotel Paradiso) so Bradley Appo, who also won on Magic of Love, did the honours at the South Burnett course.
Curtain saddled up the second placegetter Amber Ale.
In association with his brother Laurie, he donated a bonus free service to their stallion Over to Postle.
Fellow Dalby conditioner John Hearne had already given Postle an entitlement to Over that he had won.
Graeme has used it with his Brahms mare Solfege and she will return to the Dr Grace entire at Old Boyneside after she foals this spring.
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A Quieter Day For Hodge
Jed Hodge, the modestly minded New Zealander who recorded wins on Redwin, Minto’s Lass, Jeb’s Boy and Tropical Heatwave and a second placing on Rio Vista at Bundaberg’s five event March meeting, had a quieter day at Lee Park last Saturday.
After booting home Safe World seven days earlier at Monto, his best return from four rides last weekend was a third placing on Chic De Troy in the opener.
In the February-March period, the former Aucklander struck a purple patch.
Tom Button’s charge Enough is Enough, Hodge’s fifth career opportunity, provided the vital maiden breakthrough at Bundaberg in February, and his next 25 engagements to the end of March yielded an astonishing nine more successes and ten placings.
But the lad, who virtually did not sight a horse until he was 17, is adamant that the wonderful run will not go to his head.
Pat Duff, his Deagon master, is an artful mentor, having previously tutored the talented Mick Dittman, Michael Pelling, Jim Byrne and Mandy Radecker.
Jed started off “across the ditch” with renowned trainer Graeme Rogerson.
Although his boss had more than a hundred equine lodgers, there were not enough leg-ups for Hodge to experience the number of trials required to get his ticket to ride.
However he did build up his skills through his involvement in the stable’s breaking-in program.
Local horsemen Craig McPherson and Paul Jenkins helped Hodge get on his way.
Richard Collett suggested Jed wasn’t ready for race-riding and that he would improve by doing an hour at pony club four or five days a week.
That crucial tip was followed for a year.
But motivation is not a problem for Jed: one of his simple aims is to beat those in New Zealand who said he couldn’t do it!
