April 24, 2015
The South Burnett Race Club has every reason to be delighted with the numbers for its highly popular Anzac Day program.
The card, with maximum allowable fields of 10 for each of the five races, has drawn 55 acceptors.
Competition for runners has been exceptionally keen with higher prizemoney available at the country TAB meetings on Friday at Kilcoy and Saturday at Beaudesert and Dalby.
Burnett stables thrived at the corresponding fixture last year, with Norma King and jockey Jason Missen collecting a double with Shearer’s Magic and Kool Heaven, while Glenn Richardson chimed in with Golden Cash.
Both trainers will saddle up hopefuls this time around, along with Kristen Wenck, Tony Williams, James Curtain, Tom Moloney and Kaylene Hamilton.
King’s yard also has Zionic, Fiscal Cliff and Burketown Larrikin engaged at Cunnamulla, with Joshua King set to ride the trio.
The 2014 Digger’s Cup was taken out by the Kerry Munce trained Remy Martini.
The Gympie conditioner has a strong hand with the top weight Foregone in the upcoming edition.
Rookie Jessie Philpot is looking to win her first race for her master Pat Duff with Vision and Values, a minor placegetter at Nanango at Easter, stepping out in the Hotel Cecil QTIS Maiden.
The Deagon apprentice chalked up her first career victory when Agent Blue prevailed on 11 April.
The meeting’s beneficiary will again be Legacy, the charity that provides services to Australian families suffering financially and socially after the incapacitation or death of a spouse or parent, during or after their defence force service.
This time-honoured organisation currently cares for around 90,000 widows and 1,900 children and disabled dependants throughout Australia.
Racegoers are reminded that buses to the course depart Nanango’s Fitzroy Hotel at noon, the Kingaroy Hotel at 12:30pm, Proston’s Golden Spurs Hotel at 11:30 am, the Hivesville Hotel at 11:45am and the Murgon Newsagency at 12:30pm. Bookings can be made by calling 0402-715-242.
Saturday is also the opening day of the Brisbane Winter Carnival, and the Hollindale Stakes is loaded with great moneymakers.
The $533,000 earnings of Escado, the 14th and final horse to be guaranteed a run, was the cut-off mark.
Pornichet, the fifth placegetter and favourite in the Doncaster, has deposited $442,222 in its account and is the third reserve.
Those looking to take a break from the punting during proceedings can enjoy a fashion parade, and the Diamonds and Pearls themed fashion contests for female, male and couples.
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From The Bush To Sydney
Jimmy Orman, the Gatton apprentice whose first visit to a winner’s circle was at Nanango in May 2013, makes his Sydney debut on the Brenden Mackay prepared Craiglea Cruz in Saturday’s Australian Flying Corps BM 85 Handicap (1000m) at Randwick.
The Gold Coast based sprinter will not be fazed by the rain-affected going and his pilot has the ideal temperament for the novel occasion.
The duo have scored three times and picked up a second placing from just seven assignments, and Orman is in fine form.
When the two kilogram claimer saluted on the ominously named Victory Hotel at Rockhampton on Thursday, he registered his fourth win In eight days.
In an earlier season, he trekked to more than 30 different courses.
He won’t take long to spot the differences between the Harbour City’s headquarters and tracks such as Birdsville, Beetoota and Cunnamulla.
After that opening triumph at Lee Park, Jimmy was asked about his earliest ambition to become a jockey.
His response was quick and succinct. He said it was “from as soon as I could talk.”
“For all seven annual Children’s Book Week Dress Up parades at Forest Hill State School, Jimmy went as a jockey,” his mother and master Caroline Allardyce said.
“One year he was going to take a pony along to clinch winning an award but the principal got wind of the whisper and it was a late scratching.”
Stan Johnston, Craiglea Cruz’s principal part-owner, is a virtual vertebra of this state’s country and coastal provincial racing.
It will be a worthy breeding achievement if his homebred galloper scores at Royal Randwick.
The four-year-old’s sire Warhead and Waterford Road, the sire of the dam Craiglea Miss, have both been on the stallion roster at Stan and Marilyn’s Craiglea Stud near Kenilworth.
It will be a widespread thrill if the 16/1 pre-post chance hits the target at around 3.06pm on Anzac Day.
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Brisbane’s Wartime Racing Remembered
Last Tuesday, as part of the 2015 Heritage Festival, respected journalist Peter Howard delivered a comprehensive and enthralling address entitled “Conflict and Compassion: Racing in Brisbane in World War II”.
In the historic surrounds of the Old Tote Museum at Eagle Farm, Howard – in his capacity as President of the Thoroughbred Racing History Association – traced the speedy developments triggered by the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbour that led to the takeover of Eagle Farm and Doomben to accommodate military camps.
One of the intriguing issues that Howard explored was the debate over whether racing should be suspended for the entire duration.
P.J.O’Shea and Terry Ahern, the respective Chairmen of the Queensland Turf Club and Brisbane Amateur Turf Club, pointed out the importance of the industry and the morale-boosting role it would play for both the defence forces and the general public.
O’Shea also stressed the financial support his club had given to the Great War (WWI).
The amount of £40,000 represented an eight figure amount in to-day’s terms.
Race clubs, large and small, donated to Benefit funds in the Second World War.
Although various war restrictions on services such as transport complicated operations for the fraternity, racing boomed.
Albion Park, as the solo venue, drew massive crowds and betting was ultra brisk.
Howard also gave insights into horses, trainers and jockeys of the time span and provided humorous anecdotes about a range of activities and personalities.
Although the resilience of racing under pressure was evident during the four tough years, the lingering question is: what would have happened if there had been a TOTAL, nation wide ban on ALL racing between the end of 1941 and late 1945?
For starters, Bernborough would have been denied his belated chance for glory, and the likes of George Moore and Neville Sellwood may have turned to other occupations.
It would have taken an extended period before the pieces of the machinery were all put back together.
And the economic loss brought on by a wartime racing shutdown would have been highly significant.
Arrangements are in hand for Howard’s work to be available at the Jim McGill Library at Doomben.
Information about the Heritage Unit’s offerings of racecourse tours, visits to the museum, library, archives and the Pascoe Family Pictorial Record can be obtained by emailing the Heritage Unit.
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The Captain’s Classic Survivor
Following hard on the hooves of last week’s reference to the downhill slide experienced by the Prime Minister’s Cup, it is pleasing to note that an event that has been eliminated in Queensland and New South Wales is still strongly supported in Victoria.
Saturdays’s $200,000 St Leger Stakes (2800m, Listed) at Flemington continues the tradition for three-year-olds kicked off by Anthony St Leger in the Doncaster area of northern England in 1776.
The event was named after him the following year.
Australian racing replicated the English features for sophomores, namely the Guineas, Derbies, Oaks and St Legers.
The AJC St Leger (1841-1959; 1980-2001 with varying conditions) was taken out by the likes of Tie The Knot, Tawriffic, Beau Zam, Peter Pan, Castletown and Carbon Copy.
Similarly the Melbourne version went to quality performers such as Comic Court, Delta, Spearfelt and Tranquil Star.
Gurner’s Lane, Phar Lap, Hydrogen, Sailor’s Guide, Poseidon and Tulloch all won the editions in both states.
Victorian authorities are logically and systematically enhancing opportunities for emerging stayers.
The leadership really needs to pursue such a policy as the Melbourne Cup is now numerically dominated on an open slather basis by Northern hemisphere born contenders.
Interestingly, foreign participation in the Japan Cup is an invitation-only affair.
That prestigious contest and the country’s other key international flat events, namely the Queen Elizabeth II Cup, the Champions Cup and the Mile Championship, are all limited to half visitor participation.
In short, if the field maximum is 16, only eight spaces are allowed for foreigners.
