June 26, 2015
The British crave the annual, joyful experience that is Royal Ascot. Another “English” custom that ran parallel to this year’s renewal – albeit in a different hemisphere – was Hannah, the Nanango rookie who simply can’t get enough of occupying the winner’s circle.
In just three working days, Hannah English has had 12 mounts for a first class 4-1-2 tally.
At Roma last weekend, she landed her initial double with She Brings Joy and Regal Prince.
They both scored by the shortest possible margin.
Whilst the former continued her marvellous partnership with Patrick Sexton’s Oakey yard, the latter was her first ride for a truly outside stable.
The rising 10-year-old by Celestial Dancer sported the polish of Augathella conditioner Raymond Frazer.
For English, the amazing beginning to her new occupation must seem more like a reverie than a dream.
Her early strike rate of 58 per cent podium placings is something that would usually be the subject of fantasies.
The fact remains that she has positioned her horses well, timed the runs superbly and been able to get the best out of them in the tight tussles.
Sexton will hoist Hannah aboard Marmajah, Show A Noee and Rhiatenn Road at Warwick this Saturday.
Jackie Crompton will give her the instructions for On Ice Now and, with a claiming reduction from four to three kilograms looming, it would be ideal if she delivers on Luna Azzura for her master Glenn Richardson.
Hopefully the mentor has been serving up the finest of feed bags to the best earner in his lodge.
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Meanwhile the four-legged Addictive Habit, prepared by New Zealander Lee Somervell, was busy upholding his family’s Gold Coast tradition.
The five-year-old is the son of Chasing the Habit.
Her half-brother was Rough Habit, the durable, versatile Kiwi champion that collected the 1991-92 Hollindale Cups.
Those winter stakes events were over the same course and distance as last weekend’s Tatt’s Southbank Insurance Brokers Listed Handicap.
Somervell, who spent two years in the equine department of the Lord Of The Rings movie productions, managed Cambridge Thoroughbred Lodge during Rough Habit’s 15-year retirement there.
Along with the likes of Xcellent and Christopher Vance, the reliable warrior was part of the Magic Horse Show that Somervell compered.
Old age caught up with Rough Habit’s feet and eyes in 2014, and he was euthanased a few weeks shy of his 28th birthday.
Just days after his death, Addictive Habit won the Group 2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile at Riccarton.
After Addictive Habit’s black-type victory last weekend, Somervell’s ears quickly pricked up when his mate Roughie was mentioned.
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Takeover Target Hit The Mark
Understandably, international tributes flowed this week following the passing of Takeover Target.
Whilst the tale of the winner of 16 Group and Listed events is a real rags-to-riches narrative in financial terms, it was the combination of his and human efforts that underpinned an extraordinary chapter of racing history.
The first of his four visits to the United Kingdom in 2006 reaped a Royal Ascot win in the King’s Stand Stakes, and the ensuing honour of being the top-ranked sprinter in the world.
The Celtic Swing gelding was then third in the Golden (now Diamond) Jubilee Stakes and seventh (beaten two lengths) in the July Cup at Newmarket.
Follow-up wins in Japan’s Sprinters Stakes (downing Silent Witness) and Singapore’s Krisflyer International saw him crowned as the Global Sprint Challenge champion.
In 2007, Takeover Target ran fourth in Miss Andretti’s King’s Stand Stakes and second in the Jubilee while in the next year’s respective editions, he finished second in “The Stand” and, although injured in running, fourth in the Jubilee.
The following year he was off colour and a withdrawal from the 2009 King’s Stand.
Then he came away from Newmarket with a handful of screws in a hind-leg cannon bone, having been hurt whilst contesting the July Cup.
But overall, he triumphed in eight Group One events.
The six on Australian turf were the Newmarket, Salinger Stakes and Lightning Stakes at Flemington; the Doomben 10,000; Sydney’s T.J. Smith Stakes and Adelaide’s Goodwood Handicap.
Joe Janiak, the cabbie whose Queanbeyan abode was a caravan, paid around $1400 or so for an unraced work in progress.
“Archie” bolted in on debut at four in a hometown Maiden and was still undefeated after annexing the VRC Group 1 Salinger Stakes at his seventh start.
Jay Ford, aboard for 20 of the 21 wins, had both an affinity with the sterling sprinter and the ability to handle the pressurised occasions and challenges.
Janiak’s friend Gary Christou, an Orange osteopath and naturopath, played a pivotal and acknowledged role in the stunning run of success.
Early on, the horse’s leg action was a major concern.
Fortunately Christou was able to care for both animal and human conditions.
He detected a joint-locking issue that led to an over-reliance on the galloper’s front parts.
The man, tabbed as a biomechanic, was to spend hour upon hour treating his patient and was a key member of the travelling entourage.
Fairfax writer Max Presnell in a recent summary wrote: “Following treatment, Takeover Target and the chiropractor developed such a close relationship the gelding stopped whatever he was doing and walked over to put his head on Christou’s shoulder in recognition of the pain relief.”
The low point of Takeover Target’s tenure was in 2006 when he was withdrawn by stewards on the morning of the Hong Kong International Sprint (Gr 1) for returning a positive level for a hormone compound.
Instead of potentially picking up a US$1 million bonus in prize money for winning Group 1 races in the Global Sprint Challenge series in three of the four host countries, Janiak was fined HK$200,000.
The deeds of the likes of Takeover Target make experienced racing fans cringe when the word “champion” is bandied about too freely.
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Bits And Bridles
- Figures that are well-known in the South Burnett are certainly well-dispersed this Saturday. Jockeys Stephanie Lacy, Billie-Rose Derbyshire, Rhiannon Payne and Alannah Badger are Gladstone-bound. Leanne McCoy, back race-riding after a very long injury-induced break, heads there as well, having enjoyed scoring on Trade Marker at Kilcoy on Thursday.
- Norma and Joshua King are looking for a slice of the money at Alpha where the purse minimum is a healthy $10,000.
- At Warwick, Captain Clayton and Hannah Phillips, who saluted on Unique Fuse for Barry Gill at Gympie last Saturday, are looking to continue their wonderful charge. Jason Missen will pilot Dale Murray’s Allman Park runners.
- Down the track, Esk is host venue on 4 July with Wondai following seven days later.
- There is often an ironic touch around names and happenings. Back in the 1990s, there was a gear change announcement to the effect that the stayer Gossips would be wearing a tongue-tie.On a serious note, it was confirmed on Thursday that the Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained Epic Saga had returned a positive swab after winning the Tatura Cup on April 4. Given the ongoing nationwide dramas with drug cases, the neddy’s name said it all.
