December 3, 2016
Despite all the counter attractions, acceptances for Sunday’s card at Lee Park are very pleasing.
Race date allocations are finalised many months in advance and the actual nature of the competition for runners emerges much, much later.
The south-east corner has had a spate of opportunities in the last seven days.
Ipswich lost a race on Friday. And on Wednesday, there were three fields of six and a seven amidst Caloundra’s 12 event program.
Glenn Richardson, James Curtain and Kaylene Hamilton will all saddle up multiple aspirants on Sunday so the locals will have plenty of horseflesh to barrack for.
Tom Moloney, Richardson and Curtain also have entries at Kilcoy on Saturday.
Racegoers are advised that there will be an earlier than usual start at Nanango will the first event scheduled for 1:10pm.
The 3:50pm finish means there is plenty of time for the “post-races” live entertainment and fashion fun.
* * *
Burnett Fossickers Strike Gold At Gympie
Trainer Glenn Richardson was entitled to cry “Eureka” when Canid (NZ) comfortably hit pay dirt in the RSL BM 45 (1170m) at Gympie last Saturday.
With heavyweight hoop Paul Hamblin in the pigskin, the $2.30 favourite scored by two and a half lengths.
The hard toiling money spinner that is in the line-ups at Kilcoy and Nanango this weekend appreciated the drop in class.
Its lead-ups had been in BM 55, BM 60, BM 65, Class 4 provincial and open contests.
The Elusive City’s career line now stands at 59:6-12-13 for earnings of $64,500.
The $400 purchase has been a more than useful bargain.
Elusive City sired the Group One sprinter Famous Shamus and the Brisbane Cup hero Jet Set Lad.
Canid’s grand-dam True Flight was the mother of Cole Diesel, the Gold Coast gelding whose best victories were the Toorak Handicap, Caulfield Cup and the Queensland Guineas.
Success for Mollara at Nanango on Sunday would top off a good week for Richardson and Peter Jackson.
The host at Nanango’s Fitzroy Hotel is part owner of the Bel Esprit mare and last Saturday’s Gympie winner Henagan (NZ)
Meanwhile, Hivesvlille’s Lindsay Anderson is entitled to sing Gerry and the Pacemaker songs such as Ferry Across The Mersey and You’ll Never Walk Alone when he tends to his mare Liverpool Jane.
The chestnut by Captain Gerrard (Ire) added the Aspire Hair Design Class B (870m) to her two wins and a third placing from her only other outings for the Hivesville horseman.
* * *
Common Sense Prevailed
Michelle Payne has been granted permission to ride at next month’s Magic Millions program.
She is a jockey-trainer license holder in Victoria but has been not permitted to be a jockey in New South Wales.
That stance had also been adopted in Queensland.
There were comments about possible integrity concerns for a participant handling the dual roles.
The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission has now decided in Michelle’s favour.
The issue is not a gender one – it really is difficult to have dual licensees operating in parts of Queensland while refusing other individuals that may wish to operate in other areas in the state.
At Swan Hill recently, Payne created history by winning on Duke of Nottingham ($4.20 favourite), a horse she also trains.
