November 6, 2017
On Tuesday, Kingaroy owners Stan and Debbie Corbett may provide their trainer Scott Pedron with his first visit to the winner’s circle at Kumbia, courtesy of Stratalena or Fort Myer.
The former’s last five outings have yielded a third placing and three fourths in stronger company than the Stratum mare faces in the Jim Lenihan Memorial BM 55 (1855m).
Todd Banks will partner the fit six-year-old that has prevailed twice at Hawkesbury (over 1500 and 1800 metres) and in a sprint at Nanango.
The latter is a contender for the Huston Motors Kumbia Cup (1200m).
His last start failure at Caloundra was attributed to the Heavy 10 conditions.
Very sound minor placings at the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast in September preceded a victory for Fort Myer on a soft track at Ipswich with Jim Byrne aboard.
The distance suits the Arlington four-year-old that has responded well to Pedron’s alterations and a change in riding tactics.
Although this essay is a step up in class, the grandson of VRC Derby hero Arena is on the rise.
Pedron, whose comeback after a four year break from racing began in July, has prepared just two horses this time around, and 13 collective runs, all at provincial venues, have produced a 1-0-3-3 result.
Both Fort Myer and Stratalena supplement their work at their home property with hit outs at the Kumbia circuit.
The Cup is an interesting affair.
Cecily Eaton is chasing a third South Burnett district Cup for the season with Craiglea Denken.
The Longhorn gelding, with a Saturday open metric mile third place to its credit, had to cope with 65.5 kilograms.
Glenthorn Avenue is a wonderful nine-year-old.
His second in the Gympie Cup (1600m) earned his owner-trainer Lindsay Anderson the $5000 Gympie Three Cups Gold Rush Challenge on Cox Plate day.
The Bel Esprit gelding had won at Wondai over 1100 metres on Caulfield Cup day so his versatility will be called on when he reverts to 1200 metres on Melbourne Cup day.
Although the Nanango Cup hero King Ludwig prefers a mile, the winner of 14 races has not started for a month so may go well fresh.
Jandowae’s hope Gud Onya is a trier and the Toowoomba galloper Zip To The Moon certainly has claims.
The Joyce and ‘Boy’ Reed Memorial QTIS Class 1 (1200m) could be a match in two.
Matt Kropp’s entrant Okanagan Miss, a Rockhampton maiden winner at her only appearance, has the inside gate while Smart Venture only needs to transfer his prowess on the Queensland sand to the turf surface at the ‘Flemington of the Bush’ to be a strong chance.
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The Other Cup
When it comes to the $6,000,000 feature at Flemington, your guess is as good as any one else’s.
So you shouldn’t be swayed from your fancy by the prognostications of the media experts.
Seven of the international candidates have not raced in Australia this year and are therefore largely sight unseen.
Some from this category fire each year while many simply fizz. Acclimatisation is a problematic issue for some.
Lloyd Williams is the principal owner of a quarter of the field.
Serious form students will be listening out for any pre-race stewards advice. It will be useful to hear if one of the six will have a change of tactics and lead.
The event has often been tagged as the race that stops a nation.
Hopefully, that motto can be rejigged to say that it stops the northern hemisphere.
Eleven aspirants will be saddled by European trainers and 18 acceptors were born outside Australasia.
Germany’s Andreas Wohler, who collected a Cup with Protectionist, and jockey Kerrin McEvoy both know what it takes to land the big one.
Red Cardinal, with gate 24 likely to increase the odds, is worth thought as an each way chance.
The lightly raced,superbly consistent Montjeu gelding has already mastered the two miles twice and seems to have flown under the radar.
This Cup seems to have been a long range target.
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Bits And Bridles
- The Barry and Hannah Phillips team went close to taking out the first heat of the Cannonball Series at Kilcoy on Friday with Lisa Fashionista. The nine-year-old Oamaru Force mare’s two previous outings were at Nanango, where she won on February 13, 2016 and Esk, on March 12, 2016, when she ran fourth. It was a remarkable effort from all concerned to achieve the outcome with the $41 pop.
- Saturday’s Dalby meeting produced an overdue change of luck for Glenn Richardson. After a frustrating run of placings, including Man of Law in the opener, the Nanango trainer took out the Benchmark 65 Handicap with Flying Charger. Tom Moloney also collected a first prize when his charge Churchill Dawn saluted in the Maiden.
- Hannah English, who is riding at the Gold Coast on Tuesday, also broke back into the winner’s list at Dalby when she booted home Dreamer’s Gold for the Patrick Sexton yard in the Class B Handicap.
- Looking forward to a great day at Kumbia. Operations began there in 1927. To celebrate the 90th anniversary of the occasion, souvenirs such as stubby coolers will be on sale. Keep an eye out for items for the Christmas stockings.
