April 9, 2018
After a break from training that lasted for more than 11 years, Neville “Shorty” O’Toole had pottered around with just a handful horses since the spring of 2015, without luck.
Although Denarte, Star of Bethlehem and Blazon Tales did not keep the scorer busy, Hidden Angel broke through for the Wondai horseman at Chinchilla last December.
The very next hopeful he saddled up was Scarlet’s Choice at Nanango on Easter Saturday.
Neville and his wife Denise have picked well with their new lodger.
After Choisir’s bay daughter won three of her first six starts in rural NSW, her form tapered off and the then Scone based four-year-old changed hands in February.
The O’Tooles’ purchase has an impressive pedigree with Danehill appearing on both sides.
Choisir, with 61 stakes winners to his credit, was a brilliant conveyance, taking out a Breeders’ Plate, the Skyline Stakes, VRC Lightning and the VRC Emirates Classic on home turf.
In the UK, the son of Danehill Dancer and the Lunchtime mare Great Selection, completed the King’s Stand-Jubilee Stakes double at Royal Ascot in 2003.
Scarlet’s Choice’s dam Scarlet Spur was the product of the mating of Scarlet Bisque and Flying Spur, the Golden Slipper hero that enhanced his reputation by taking out the Australian Guineas and All Aged Stakes.
Scarlet Bisque, endowed with the genes of Biscay and Star Kingdom, was triumphant in the 1990 Oakleigh Plate, the MVRC Moir Stakes and the VATC Chirnside Stakes and was a smart juvenile.
Her daughter Joker’s Girl, a three times collector of black-type events at two, foaled the talented Absolutelyfabulous.
Scarlet Pearl, Scarlet Crown, Maspero (Doomben Cup) and Jupiter are other stakes-winning family members.
Scarlet Choice’s Nanango victory in a record-breaking 44.93 seconds for 800 metres, almost recouped the outlay.
She may get a chance to add to her account on home sand on Anzac Day.
A week earlier, Wondai trainer Kristen Wenck relished the maiden win of Ascot Bound on a very heavy track at Caloundra.
Anthony Allen carefully followed instructions and the $31 shot, a descendant of Roberto, Bletchingly, Vain and Kaoru Star’s dam Kaoru, dug deep to get the close photo decision.
The Domesday gelding’s three previous placings were all registered on the sand at Gympie and Wondai.
Although he had five trials including four at Randwick for John Sargent, his first trainer, he did not race in the south.
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English Claims The Premiership
Nanango apprentice Hannah English, with an Easter double, has clinched her first Lee Park premiership.
She has streeted the field with a 9-3-4 tally from the first five of the six local meetings for the 2017-18 season.
Her master Glenn Richardson is also in with a show for the trainer’s title.
The stirring success by Hannah’s mount Canid ($10) in the Heritage Nanango BM 50 (1200m) was extremely satisfying.
The $400 bargain buy has now banked more than $70,000.
The Elusive City seven-year-old, raced by his trainer, Marc Alexander and Gary McAuliffe, was having his fourth run following a year on the sidelines.
The gelding, whose hoof required time to grow out after his foot was cut, got up in what was probably the tightest finish witnessed at Lee Park in decades.
Ironically, Canid had previously bowed three times by a nose at home where his record stands at 16:3-3-2.
English also landed the final contest, the IGA Nanango BM 60 (1600m), on Maxwell for Brenton Andrew’s Gatton stable.
The Smart Missile gelding is named after Maxwell Smart, the comic secret agent television character that premiered in the mid 1960s.
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QTIS Bonuses Were Welcome
It is always great to see the rewards of QTIS Scheme being distributed to its supporters at all the various levels.
That was the joyful result when both divisions of the Pursers Buses Maiden Plate (1000m) at Lee Park were picked up by eligible raiders from the Darling Downs.
Wilhelmina, from Charlotte White’s Toowoomba yard, won $9800 for her effort at just her fourth engagement.
The Sequalo filly was handled by former Victorian rider Rebecca Williams.
The second offering was secured by Colpo Di Tamburo, named for the Italian term for its sire Drumbeats, in track record time.
The bay, prepared at Warwick by Les Clarke, stopped the clock at 56.95 seconds which was much faster than Wilhelmina’s 58.66. The previous benchmark was Turbo Teddy’s 57.24.
The three-year-old scored decisively after jockey Ron Goltz found the perfect passage on the fence behind the leading group.
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Quality Times
Nanango Race Club President Andrew Green, who also acts as course manager, had every reason to be excited about the way the track and environs both looked and played for the Easter Saturday meeting.
The competition was incredibly exciting with a short head, two noses and a short neck among the winning margins.
The professional work of the judges’ box team of Carl Wiedemann and Graham Knight is more than worthy of mention.
They always take the necessary time and precise study to ensure certainty about their decisions.
Jockeys and stewards that had a look at the images in the two very narrow calls had no hesitation in nodding in agreement.
More high standard fare is expected for the next Lee Park fixture on May 26.
The club will be hosting a heat of the rich Battle of the Bush series.
That leg is the only chance on a grass track for connections in the south-east district.
By the way, the Fashion Theme will be Capes, Cullotes and Cravats.
