July 7, 2016
The South Burnett Race Club has attracted a highly encouraging total of 70 nominations for this Saturday’s card.
At acceptance time, 47 had secured spots, 15 were declared emergencies and there is an unknown number of horses that may have missed the cut because of a need to ballot.
Only one of the 17 reserves for Esk gained a start last weekend.
The recent Warwick washout and the fact that there are two successive Saturdays that have no Eastern Downs non-TAB fixtures scheduled are some of the reasons a large number of horses are missing on a chance to be active.
Anyway, Wondai has ended up with a stack of aspirants and the South Burnett yards have put their hands up to play on Winter Wonderland day.
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Prospective Pointers
Wondai track specialist I Am McLovin should be out to endear himself in BM 60 company.
The Curtain family horse, unbeaten in three assignments at the track over the 850 metre trip, has been unplaced – but not disgraced in terms of distance beaten – at his last four appearances.
The Kumbia sprinter has the services of Alisha Taylor, has drawn the rail and also has a Gympie sand victory over 850 metres to his credit.
The James Curtain stable’s other contenders are Sequoia Miss, Sundays Destiny, and the emergency Lady Wivenhoe,
Nanango’s Glenn Richardson will be looking to Canid to hammer out an overdue win in the Wondai Hardware BM 55 (1100m).
The Elusive City gelding has finished second or third in eight of his last 10 outings.
He does seem to prefer to be in the bridal party rather than making the groom’s speech. His lifetime record lists 10 seconds and 10 thirds alongside four wins, one of which came from an upgrade after being second at the wire.
Richardson will also saddle up Hopetoun Street and Hidden Angel.
Burnett trainers Kaylene Hamilton (with Stratalena and the luckless Monte Lago), Lindsay Anderson (Glenthorn Avenue, Chen Wicko), Tom Moloney (Yamanners, Famechon Baroness), Kristen Wenck (reserve Nug’s Pocket) and Tony Williams (Lillian Eliza) are also chasing prizemoney.
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Allardyce Was An Ace At Esk
Esk’s race meeting last Saturday included a light-hearted taste of the Rio Olympics.
Caroline Allardyce, the owner-trainer of the Pat Moffat Maiden Plate winner Ms Sarandon, may well have had a personal interest in the real Games because her son is a former national junior gymnastics champion.
The lad in question, however, had a one track mind: for all seven of his annual Children’s Book Week Dress Up parades at Forest Hill State School, he went as a jockey.
Jimmy Orman, who picked up his first Group One placing with Sultry Feeling in the 2016 $500,000 Tattersall’s Tiara, was always destined to move from the vaulting horse to high flying thoroughbreds.
The acute sense of balance that is a vital tool for race-riders and the self-discipline involved with the training regime are two of the invaluable by-products of the sporting chapter.
The ultra-lightly raced Ms Sarandon gave rookie Corey Bayliss his third career victory by a nostril.
The rising six year old St Averil mare took Caroline’s training record for the season to 34:7-4-3, with Jimmy making a 21:6-3-2 contribution to his mother-cum-master’s impressive strike rate.
The Gatton-based horsewoman, with the assistance of Jimmy and his father Mick, has done wonders with her very small squad.
Although the delightful, costumed festivities at Esk were supplemented with Peter Allen’s “I Go To Rio”, there was also a reminder about his signature song “I Still Call Australia Home”.
During the afternoon, a koala descended from the tree near the betting ring.
After glancing at the bookmakers’ odds, the local decided to keep his cash safe.
And in the days leading up to the meeting, a large carpet snake was discovered enjoying its winter hibernation in the tower that houses the judge and the racecaller.
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Bits And Bridles
- Nanango Race Club has outshone the esteemed Victoria Racing Club when it comes to preserving fundamental history. The time-honoured L K S Mackinnon Stakes is no more. The event will only bear the name of Emirates, its new sponsor, when it moves from the first to the final day of the 2016 Melbourne Cup Carnival. Mackinnon was a powerful and interesting club chairman at Flemington in an era that included the Phar Lap chapter.
- Mick’s Luck, a legendary figure in the Burnett and the south east corner in the 1960s and 1970s, will be honoured during the Fitzroy Hotel Nanango Cup program on August 13. During The Magistrate gelding’s ultra-long and busy career, he had links with a host of Burnett families including the Freemans, Richardsons, Lenihans, Duffs and Moloneys. He was raced by his breeder Mick Wecker and was the equine equivalent of an Olympic weight-lifter when his handicaps are analysed. It will be worth a visit to Lee Park to find out more about this unique thoroughbred.
- July 31 marks the end of the racing season. This month is the ideal time to become a member of your local race club. Racing Queensland has contact details for all Queensland racecourses. You can get them on Racinq Queensland’s website or by phoning (07) 3869-9777.
