September 23, 2016
Three generations of Toowoomba’s Dougall family had a hand in the first two winners on Nanango’s Heritage Bank program last Saturday.
Young Libby Dougall came up with the name Kakadu Plum for the Onemorenomore gelding that is raced by her grandfather John and trained by her father Tom.
The source of her idea was a sauce bottle on the table and sweet results have ensued, with the four-year-old scoring twice from just six outings.
The bayish brown sprinter, having quinellaed the Esk Maiden with its stablemate Leading Story seven days earlier for Billie-Rose Derbyshire, repeated the dose for the same rider at Lee Park in the People First Class B (1000m).
Again, the nearest chaser was a fellow lodger in I am Relentless (Nathan Evans).
John, Tom and Nathan successfully teamed up with Sun Will Shine in the very next contest, the Heritage Nanango Mardi Gras Handicap (1000m).
The lightly raced Excites gelding took its career win and placings data to a creditable 6-1-3 by defeating Squeemi (Hannah English) and Testascanna (Sean Palmer) in a three way photo.
When John’s father Basil was principal of Stonyhurst Stud at Dalby, he started a very long tradition of buying stock at the Scone yearling sales.
John, a confirmed regular there, paid $3,000 for Kakadu Plum, a grandson of Egyptian Queen who was the mother of the top notch mare Our Egyptian Raine.
There were some little confirmation flaws, so the purchase was put away for 18 months.
Tom was the side’s representative when Sun Will Shine was knocked down for $5,000.
John indicated that the seven-year-old can be excitable, so mishaps have meant that he has only lined up 16 times to date.
Last season Dougall tied with Bevan Johnson for the leading trainer title for the Eastern Downs non-TAB circuit.
The horseman’s string has been firing of late, turning out five winners in the past month.
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A Name From Far North
In the Heritage Bank Nanango BM 55 (1200m), Billie-Rose Derbyshire chalked up a double with her other Esk winner Karaharaga.
The four-year-old is prepared at Gatton by Brenton Andrews.
The margin last week was a head. On this occasion, it was a nose call over Canid, the local that appeared certain to prevail until the final few bounds.
Karaharaga’s part owner Mick O’Brien, a former trainer, chose a Papua New Guinea term for “be quick” for the chestnut’s official name.
Rory’s Jester’s grandson certainly found the desired speed over the final part.
The gelding is nicknamed Nemo after the similarly coloured, animated movie, fish character.
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The Gypsy Rover Collects
English hoop Sean Palmer pulled the right rein when he opted not to press forward early from a wide slot in the metric mile BM 55 on the $9 shot Cool Days.
Instead he eased to the tail and played for luck, and the field did fan out on the final bend.
The widely travelled Palmer came along the inside in the home stretch on the More Than Ready six year old to hold off the Bundaberg galloper Deadly Dennis and Eidsvold’s representative Tiverton in the run to the wire.
The six-year-old’s trainer Bevan Johnson is based at Miles, and his string certainly covers the kilometres.
The side also had a winner at Sprinsgure on Saturday, and a starter at Roma.
His horses’ recent ports of call include Cairns, Emerald, Dingo, Cunnamulla and Rockhampton.
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The Tight Competition
Although there was no Toowoomba fixture on the day, statistics from the meeting show that Nanango maintains its reputation as a venue of intense encounters.
More than 40 trainers from north to Bundaberg, south to Beaudesert and west to Miles and Goondiwindi supplied runners while 23 riders donned silk to earn a crust.
Incidentally, part of the general economic value of non-TAB meetings such as this one is reflected in the travel expenditures the participants generate.
Winning margins ranged from a short half head to a length and a quarter.
The Class B event was considered to be such an open affair that four aspirants, including the victor Kakadu Plum, shared favouritism at $6.
Usually apprentices make their mark at rural fixtures. This time the seniors dominated with the one and half claimer Stephanie Lacy the exception by virtue of the Oakey galloper Charzooka, a grandson of Redoute’s Choice, in the second division of the BM 55 Handicap (1200m).
There was no bias at Nanango. Winners came from all parts of the barrier draw and positions in running.
Finally, non-TAB racing has a long history of extending the professional life of thoroughbreds.
Many come down, so to speak,from loftier expectations and environments.
For example, runners bred by the famed nurseries at Darley and Widden stepped out at Nanango, while money earners at Esk included two that were expensive yearlings.
Zabeel’s son Jupiter Palm and Halpin (by Fastnet Rock) sold for $250,000 and $200,000 respectively.
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Looking Ahead
Dates for the Cups at Wondai (October 15) and Kumbia (November 1) coincide as usual with the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.
Nanango’s next offering will be its Christmas meeting on Sunday – not Saturday – December 4.
