June 3, 2016
There were several delights and one stark disappointment among the experiences at Lee Park last Saturday.
The upside included a maiden riding victory, a very satisfying local breakthrough and three sets of doubles, while the debit contribution was by a “sure thing”.
After some knocking on the door, Chris Munce’s apprentice Corey Bayliss achieved a very happy ending to the month of May.
On his fourth day in racing silks, the rookie chalked up his initial career winner when he stormed home on the Show A Heart gelding Simply Showtime in the Nanango RSL-Margaret and Garry Banks Memorial (BM 60, 1200m).
The margin in favour of the $13 pop from Darryl Gardiner’s Bundaberg yard was a half head.
It was Corey’s 15th engagement.
His lead-up included six placings and three fourths, and there was the special frustration of two narrow photo-finish losses at Esk and Burrandowan.
Another winner or two at Eidsvold on Saturday would be a great seventeenth birthday gift!
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Well Done, Kaylene!
Nanango trainer Kaylene Hamilton has sent out 49 aspirants since Sammy Safecracker’s second placing at Kumbia on Melbourne Cup day in 2013.
The luckless run with “Sammy” and her other charges Mini Style, Gold Record and Monte Lago picked up nine more seconds, three thirds and two fourths before her newcomer Stratalena registered an eye-taking win in last Saturday’s BP Roadhouse Handicap (BM 50, 1000m).
The value of the performance was heightened by the fact the stable opted for long time ally Ian Coombes rather than a claiming apprentice, so the full impost of 63 kilograms was carried.
Stratum, the bay’s sire, enhanced his reputation when his son Attention was the centre of the Sires Produce accolades at Doomben on Saturday.
Kaylene acquired Stratalena. as outlined last week.
The rising five-year-old and her fifth placed stablemate Monte Lago have interesting pedigrees.
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Triple Doubles
Coombes made it a double in the finale, the Heritage Nanango Film Festival (BM 55), when he helped the Beautiful Crown gelding Ultimate Kingdom overcome the outside marble at the metric mile start.
The home addresses of the runners exemplified the tourism angle to country racing.
The victor came from Rodney Hay’s Taroom yard while the beaten candidates, apart from one local, hailed from Toowoomba, Deagon, Gold Coast, Bundaberg, Gympie and Miles.
Apprentice Adam Spinks (Mrs Boodle and Seen A Host) and trainer Darryl Gardiner (Simply Showtime and Seen A Host) both chalked up two winners.
The former, in booting home Our Clarky for Mrs Boodle’s mentor Bradley Hudson at Kilcoy on Sunday, opened his provincial account.
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The Shock
Punters were not surprised to see 3/1 on and 4/1 on offer about Mister Booze in the St. Mary’s Catholic College Open (1200m).
After all, the Tycoon Ruler gelding was in receipt of just four kilograms when Buffering downed him by a length and a half in the rich Magic Millions QTIS event in January.
However backers were reaching for double whiskies when Shaun Bayliss was getting desperate well before the home turn.
The earner of $346,450 was gone soon after.
The veterinary inspection after the “fourth of four” outcome did not find a problem.
The favourite, however, was resuming after a four month absence and may not have relished the track surface.
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Coming Up
- Eagle Farm, after being sidelined for nearly two years, is set to resume with Saturday’s Oaks program. The ultra large, high quality infield screen is certain to be soundly appreciated. Hopefully the overdue rain that is forecast will dally long enough to have no impact there or at Eidsvold.
- A very pleasing roll-up for this coming Saturday’s Eidsvold meeting may have been influenced by the two $1000 bonuses put up in association with Gayndah. One covers an incentive for a horse that can take out both main races up that way this and next weekend. The other is a points contest for trainers across both fixtures.
- Nanango’s next meeting is Cup Day on August 13. The Moffatdale Ridge Wines fashion theme of Classic Black and White is traditionally popular.
