August 7, 2015
The “horses for courses” motto applied with a human wist at Lee Park last Saturday.
The upshot is that punters seeking the winner of next year’s Nanango Cup should firstly look out for the proven names of Appo and Baker.
The 2015 XXXX Carrollee Hotel Nanango Cup was secured by Bradley Appo’s mount Gaelstorm, a Bel Esprit mare prepared at Dalby by Gilbert Baker.
Appo had previously saluted in the feature event on a grandson of Tails, namely the Jim Denman-trained Steamy.
Bradley’s brother Lyall, with Kane’s Crossing and Pedro’s Amazing, and his nephew Beau, courtesy of Thunder Lane, are also listed on the Cup’s honour roll.
And Baker’s there, too. He put his polish on Dandy Warhols and Anchor Bolt.
Gaelstorm’s triumph maintained the team’s trophy-collecting spree.
The side’s 2015 credits include the Warra Cup, Allora Cup at Warwick, Goondiwindi Picnic Cup, Jandowae Cup and the Murilla Cup at Miles.
In 2014, the trio savoured Cup at Warra, Jandowae and Chinchilla.
Baker knows what it takes to win at Lee Park.
In 2010-1 he won the trainer’s title there and Anchor Bolt shared the Horse Of The Year honours with the Anthony Greaves-trained Muffet.
Gilbert, a conditioner who times his charges’ campaigns astutely, pulled the right rein when he introduced the sometimes-difficult Gaelstorm to Appo.
The Toowoomba-based Child Protection Advisor has developed a wonderful understanding with the grand-daughter of End Sweep.
Remarkably, their 19 tasks together have amassed ten wins and three placings.
Appo’s performance on the former Victorian that has scored a dozen times since coming north was straight out of a master’s handbook.
The mare relaxed splendidly, travelled smoothly behind the speed and picked up the tempo on cue.
Favourite backers were smiling at the half-way mark and grinning expectantly as Gaelstorm had the leaders (and eventual placegetters) Billy Goat and Bingo Bobby well covered on the home turn.
The winning margin, although only a neck, was convincing.
Appo has found that the seven-times winner for the season just does what she feels is necessary to stay in front.
The eight-year-old seems to know what is required.
* * *
Laura Swapped Roles
There was joy all round after the Macdonalds Kingaroy QTIS Maiden (Division 1, 1200m).
When Bundaberg-based Laura Cronan was last at Nanango, she rode a double. That was 14 years go.
On Saturday she chalked up her first success as a trainer with the Not A Single Doubt mare If In Doubt.
Wondai jockey Jason Missen somehow weaved his way from a seemingly impossible rearward position to overpower the leaders over the concluding part.
Jason finished second behind Gympie’s Kelly Gates in the 2014-15 South East Queensland Country Racing Association Senior Jockeys’ Premiership.
That is a remarkable feat given his long lay-off, courtesy of a fractured knee incurred at Mt Perry in November.
Billie-Rose Derbyshire (Overall Jockey and Desiree Gill Memorial Apprentice) and Barry Gill (Trainer) saw to it that Gympie claimed all three SEQCRA “human category” awards.
The presentations are slotted in for the Bundaberg fixture on September 5.
Missen made it a double for the first day of the new season when he brought Casa Ciello from worse than midfield to land the Betta Home Living Class B (1600m).
The favourite Big Tommee set a breakneck pace and understandably weakened in the straight.
Interestingly for the clock watchers, the Show A Heart mare’s time was only 0.17 seconds slower than the open horses took to decide the Cup.
* * *
Bitter And Sweet Times For Phillips
Last Saturday, Hannah Phillips deservedly received the trophy for her Nanango Jockeys’ Premiership.
She overcame a significant injury timeout to beat the seniors and her fellow juniors.
Captain Clayton, the Horse Of The Year that is owned and trained by her father Barry, and Oakey trainer Patrick Sexton were the other section winners.
Hannah’s mounts earned $153,000 for the 2014-15 racing year.
She registered 21 wins overall, with the 14 victories in the SEQCRA domain equating to second spot behind Derbyshire in both the overall and junior divisions.
The good news is that Captain Clayton, with three wins at Nanango and one at Gayndah, is the SEQCRA Horse of the Year.
On the downside, Phillips has copped her second suspension inside a month.
On July 4, she pleaded guilty to a careless riding charge on Alofthym at Esk.
Consequently, she was sidelined by stewards for one country meeting.
Hannah again pleaded guilty when faced with the same charge involving the same horse last Saturday.
She can ride at this weekend’s Gladstone Cup program and is then off the scene until August 23.
* * *
Bell Rings Again
Ricky Johnston-Bell, the Sunshine Coast apprentice that was transported to hospital after a barrier incident at Lee Park, has bounced back.
It was good to see that both his rides at Beaudesert on Thursday filled third berth.
* * *
TAB Troubles Now Fixed
One final note this week: TAB troubles that prevented any TAB betting at last Saturday’s Nanango Cup meeting have been fixed.
The Nanango track normally has TAB facilities operating on course alongside the bookies.
But last Saturday the TAB stopped operating just before racing got underway, and the screens stayed black all day.
The Nanango Race Club has since been advised the blackout was caused by a lightning strike somewhere in the TAB network.
Telstra has since rectified the problem and everything is now up and running again in readiness for the club’s next meeting on September 19.
