September 14, 2017
Top trainer Glenn Richardson and top jockey Jason Hoopert will team up with Jill’s Shadow in the Heritage Nanango BM 55 (1200m) at Lee Park on Saturday.
Richardson and Hoopert both finished at the top of their respective tables for the South East Country Racing Association’s non-TAB circuit for 2016-17.
While a countback could not separate Richardson and Bundaberg conditioner Darryl Gardiner for the trainers’ title, Hoopert was a clear winner in the senior riders’ category.
Richardson’s Nanango side is in form.
Klammer, piloted by Hannah English, scored in the $12,000 Open Handicap at Dalby last Saturday.
Sparkling Gift ($10) collected the minor money at Kilcoy on Thursday for English, who also booted home Star Of Baroda for Oakey mentor Bradley Hudson on the same card.
Hoopert, meanwhile, has come back home after a successful far western sojourn.
He no doubt took some great photos as well as saluting at Betoota and Birdsville and finishing a half length second at Bedourie.
By the way, although Jill’s Shadow disappointed when forced wide at her Nanango appearance in August, her home track record stands at three wins from five chores.
* * *
A Bit Of A Dilemma
Although Nanango’s field sizes for this weekend are below normal for the course, the outcome is not surprising and actually better than at some other venues.
Kilcoy’s fixture, for example, ended up with seven runners or less for five of its TAB seven races.
Authorities have publicly put the recent drop in depth at TAB meetings in the south-east down to the very dry weather.
Another factor is the spate of race days this week.
Doomben raced on Wednesday, Kilcoy the next day, Ipswich and the Sunshine Coast are Friday’s hosts with the latter backing up again on Sunday.
Warwick and Surat are also operating on Saturday, so it’s probably fortunate there’s no activity at Toowoomba.
Conventional wisdom is that there is a smaller pool of older horses around during the lead up to the early two-year-old events.
This week’s trials for the babies will not want to be a reflection on the overall numbers in training.
The Toowoomba trials for juveniles were abandoned because of a lack of nominations.
Eleven of the dozen that went around at Caloundra were prepared by Mark Webb, while the Gold Coast set saw only six fillies and four colts step out.
Hopefully the current situation is a temporary glitch.
* * *
Nanango Reminders
- 4:10pm is an important time on September 16. That is the advertised starting time for the last at Lee Park. Soon after a patron, still present at the track, will win a night at the Sofitel Hotel Noosa Pacific Resort and dinner for two at the Noosa Beach House. Earlier, the fortunate racegoer would have put a bookmaker’s ticket showing a minimum stake of five dollars in the entry box.
- The Fashion theme is Feather Fascinators, Fedoras and Furs.
- There will be Sky coverage of fabulous action in the south. Can Winx chalked up her 20th straight victory? How will Chautaugua go first up? Who will prevail in the $750,000 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington in a lineup that boasts 11 Group One winners?
* * *
Bits and Bridles
- Hannah Phillips has not been riding this week. She collected a short suspension, effective from September 9-16 inclusive, at Dalby on September 2.
- Lindsay Anderson and Brian Laherty have accepted with their respective charges Clouds and Machu Picchu for the last on Sunday at the Sunshine Coast.
- Keep in mind that Wondai’s Caulfield Cup day meeting on October 21 is getting closer, and will be followed by Kumbia on Melbourne Cup Day, November 7.
