April 16, 2018
South Burnett competitors collected silver and bronze at Gympie last Saturday, but a victory was twice a touch away.
Lindsay Anderson’s charge Liverpool Jane (Gemma Steele, $3.50 favourite) went close.
The gutsy chestnut, carrying a hefty 64 kilograms, was narrowly beaten by the Bundaberg galloper Emperor Maximilian (Cecily Eaton, $6) in the McIntosh Meats BM 60 (1030m).
Scarlet’s Choice (Jason Missen, $5), another Wondai candidate that was saddled up by Neville O’Toole, claimed the minor prize.
By the way, Liverpool Jane’s three wins last spring were accomplished toting 64.5, 63.5 and 62.5 kilograms
* * *
(Photo: Ross Stanley)
Will He Be Lucky?
Stewart Barr is certainly hoping he can chalk up his first home track triumph at Wondai on Anzac Day.
Surely he can be more fortunate than he was in the Tyre Power QTIS Maiden at Gympie.
Barry Gill’s Magestical Maiden (Jason Hoopert, $1.55) scored decisively with Barr’s trio of Willybelucky, Heirsroc and Somethingreat filling second, third and fourth spots at the end of the 1470 metre journey.
It was a case of further frustration for the Barr team in the finale, the $10,000 Ray Groom Plumbing 100 Club BM 60 (1600m) when Endless Don (Gregory Hayes, $5) was nosed out by Te Rangi (Jason Hoopert, $5).
Nanango conditioner Glenn Richardson also picked up a rattle of silver with Destiny’s Mate (Hannah English $3.30 favourite) winding up as runner-up in the Maiden Plate (850m).
Nominations close on Thursday for next Wednesday’s appetising South Burnett Race Club card.
It is the Wondai Diggers’ Cup day with a Poppies and Pearls theme.
The Open Handicap (1100m) should prove tempting to any connections of horses that need to tick off the five non-TAB starts requirement for the Battle Of The Bush Series.
The Benchmark 55 Handicap over 850 metres, boosted by lucrative QTIS bonuses, should be a very popular offering.
* * *
Winx’s Early Spins
With 25 successive wins to her credit now, Winx has matched Black Caviar’s extraordinary sequence.
The Street Cry mare will not eclipse other feats achieved by Bel Esprit’s unbeaten daughter.
The current darling is now very unlikely to win outside this country and she has suffered defeat six times.
It is worth revisiting Winx’s first ten outings before she started her unbroken sweep in the Sunshine Coast Guineas for Larry Cassidy on May 16, 2015.
The present superstar had very few blemishes.
After saluting both times she was produced as a June juvenile, she was set three tasks in the spring of her second season.
The bay took out the Furious Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) on a Heavy 8 at Randwick prior to beating all bar First Seal in both the Tea Rose (Gr 2,1400m) and the Flight Stakes (Gr 1,1600m) at the same track.
Winx missed a place for the first time when resuming with a seventh in the Light Fingers Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) in February 2015.
A fifth in the Surround Stakes preceded a victory as a $2.45 pop against the boys in the Phar Lap Stakes at Rosehill.
Her final hit-out before Sydney’s Oaks resulted in a fifth placing in the Vinery, two lengths astern of Fenway.
She went out at $2.80 with Joao Moreira as pilot in the Randwick classic but had to be content with the runner-up slot behind Gust Of Wind.
Then Vegas Showgirl’s foal began conjuring her magic spell, and Hugh Bowman has rarely had to use his leather wand.
Jason Collett, her jockey for her two-year-old appearances, James McDonald (Theo Marks Quality) and Tommy Berry (Phar Lap Stakes) are the other three of a total of five hoops to relish the thrill of prevailing on Winx.
