October 14, 2017
The South Burnett Race Club’s two meetings so far this year have drawn very pleasing horse numbers.
Seven fields of eight or more lined up for the ten races decided across the Anzac Day and July fixtures.
Given that the maximum allowed to run around the Wondai course is ten, the roll-ups have been very pleasing.
The Cup day program there next Saturday may be able to continue the trend.
There have not been many non-TAB meetings of late and the similar opposition nearest to Wondai on October 21 will be the annual Stanthorpe Cup agenda.
Wondai also provides an opportunity for sand gallopers ahead of the Gympie Cup card on Cox Plate day.
As well as the feature – the $8000 Roy and Glenis Radunz Wondai Cup (BM 65, 1465m) – the Benchmark 55 Handicap (1100m) will command attention.
It carries healthy bonuses for QTIS eligible three-year-old fillies, four-year-old mares and males aged three, four or five years.
These added extras make the event competitive when compared to Gympie’s BM 60 over 1030 metres seven days later.
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An Unusual Oakey Anniversary Looms
Aspirants that hail from Oakey frequently step out on South Burnett tracks, with trainers such as Bradley Hudson, Peter and Patrick Sexton and Dale Murray proving to be very supportive of the district’s racing.
At this time of the year back in 1946, the residents of the Darling Downs township and racing adherents across the nation went through the highs and lows of the sport, courtesy of Bernborough.
The son of Emborough and Bern Maid won the Caulfield Stakes to make it 15 straight after his second at Toowoomba on July 28, 1945.
Seven days later the idol, carrying 10 stone 10 pounds (68 kilograms) came from a long way back to finish fifth in the Caulfield Cup.
Although the favourite did strike trouble in running, the ride by jockey Athol Mulley created controversy.
Worse was to come in the Mackinnon Stakes when Bernborough (Billy Briscoe) broke down badly on the home turn.
The magnificent stallion was saved and had a very successful stud career in America.
Forty years ago on October 29, 1977, a life-sized bronze statue of Bernborough was unveiled in a grand ceremony in the heart of Oakey.
The monument is designed to stand for 3000 years and while it is unlikely he will still be talked about for that long, the marvellous performer is worth remembering this spring.
Incidentally, in 1938, it was Harry Winten who opted to mate his veteran mare Bern Maid with Emborough.
Sadly he died four months before the resultant foal was born.
It was during a very dry period at Rosalie Plains near Oakey and the executors of his estate decided to auction 25 of his horses.
Unfortunately, Winten’s brother Darcy included Bern Maid and her young colt in the catalogue.
If the youngster had been retained, the course of history would not have included a ban on racing in Brisbane.
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A Booster For Next Winter
The marketing task force for the 2018 Brisbane Carnival got a shot in the arm late last week, courtesy of some major outcomes in the south.
Four thoroughbreds that competed in Queensland in the May-June period flew the flag brilliantly.
The Doomben 10,000 winner Redzel scaled The Everest in quicker fashion than the other eleven hopefuls while In Her Time and Impending produced an exacta in the Sydney Stakes that reversed their Stradbroke finishing positions.
Also at Randwick, Invincibella took out The Star Mile.
In the One Thousand Guineas, Caulfield’s $500,000 Group One semi-classic for fillies, Aloisia, the runner-up in the J.J. Atkins Stakes at Doomben, franked the northern form in the best possible fashion.
By the way, The Everest (1200m), officially listed as a $10 million contest, in reality carries $2,800,000 in prizemoney and $7,200,000 in sweepstakes.
The concept of folk involved with each starter putting up part or all of the purse goes back to the early days or racing.
The method was a development on match racing, an original form of competition in which the winner took all.
In essence,the owners were having an even money bet against each other.
If, for example they both put in £100, the winner’s profit was his rival’s £100.
For the record, In Her Time stopped the clock at 1.08.26 with the final 600 metre taking 34.22 seconds, while Redzel’s figures were 1.08.36 and 34.46 respectively.
