November 21, 2015
Nanango apprentice Hannah English currently has the extraordinary record of booting home at least one winner at each of seven consecutive work days.
The streak, which began at Tara with Canid on October 3, continued on with a Gayndah double, winners at Wondai and Gympie, a Kumbia treble and a double at Chinchilla before climbing another peak with last Saturday’s Mount Perry Cup triumph on Seen A Host for Bundaberg conditioner Darryl Gardiner.
She is shooting for the stars this Saturday by taking on stiff competition for the spoils at the lucrative Roma Cup program.
Although the feature $50,000 XXXX Cup on the TAB (or more precisely UBET) fixture is a non-claiming race, English will again partner her Chinchilla winner Oogie.
Invitees to afternoon tea at Hannah’s place need not take their own chinaware – since her June debut, the dashing two kilogram claimer has collected a fine set of Cups.
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Meanwhile, Hannah Phillips has also maintained a remarkably consistent strike rate. In the past two months, she has entered the winner’s slot at Bedourie, Nanango, Gladstone (twice), Wondai (twice), Chinchilla and Mount Perry.
Amidst her large book at Roma is the engagement for Captain Clayton in the $25,000 Country Queensland Showcase Open (1000 metres)
We wish both lasses all the best because it would be a career boost if they can impress during the nationwide Skychannel 2 coverage.
References regarding the origin of the name Hannah include terms such as “God’s given gift to the world” and “favour or grace.”
The feats of the pair of Nanango Hannahs have added another potential meaning: punters would say they are “well worth following.”
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Bits And Bridles
- Wondai old boy Jason Hoopert has had a few rides since his return from injury. He grabbed a runner-up cheque with Fynnstar at Kilcoy on Thursday. On several occasions, Beaudesert trainer Ben Robinson has saddled up the Sunshine Coast jockey’s comeback winner. The duo are hoping for similar fortune at Gatton this weekend.
- The scheduling of upcoming meetings is useful this time. Gympie is the venue for next Saturday’s South East country venue with Nanango’s popular Christmas program set down for December 5. It is always better to have sand and grass action spaced. Seven day back-ups on the same type of racing surface makes it more difficult to attract decent sized fields.
- The 2016 Brisbane Winter Carnival now has a higher hurdle to jump. The Australian Turf Club, flush with funds, has added a further $2.4 million in prizemoney for a range of its Autumn carnival black-type contests. It has made its Randwick Guineas a million dollar affair, trumping the $750,000 Australian Guineas that is decided at Flemington on the same day. The rivalry between New South Wales and Victoria for dominance at that time of the year is palpable.
- Meanwhile there has been no sign of a Queensland Government announcement about decisions relevant to its sustainability ambitions for racing in this state. It would seem imprudent to drop a swag of bad news tidings in the lead-up to January’s Magic Millions festival. Thus far, the powers that be have certainly lacked the timing prowess displayed in the past and now by our great riders. Participants across the board are wondering if they are in for gentle hands and heels treatment or a flogging.
