July 20, 2018
by Ross Stanley
Persistence paid off for Demesne’s trainer Glenn Richardson at Esk last Saturday.
The maiden victory for the five-year-old rewarded the patience of the Nanango horseman, who copped a tip from the five-year-old’s original conditioner.
“Chris Munce said the horse was very immature and would benefit by a year in the paddock,” said Richardson, who bought the Domesday gelding that had initially cost Munce Racing $42,000 at the Magic Million sale in 2014.
The first five runs across two preparations by the bay from the Zedative mare Jig Time Lady reaped no return for the Munce stable.
The harvest between March and May 2016 proved similar for Richardson.
But when Bob Chessher, a cousin of Glenn’s mother Glenda, moved into the Nanango district, he was looking to get into a horse.
Richardson suggested an involvement in Demesne, and Bob was prepared to wait.
His son Michael had a five acre spot and so Demesne’s break continued there.
After precisely a two year gap in sporting race day silk, Demesne resumed at Nanango in May in a half mile Maiden.
He was not disgraced in finishing mid-field, beaten just five lengths.
Two more engagements at cricket score odds at Toowoomba proved fruitless for the Newhaven Park bred commodity, but at Dalby over 1200 metres last week he improved to go down by less than three lengths at $151.
Dropping down from provincial standard just two days later did the trick when a narrow win over 1460 metres at the Brisbane Valley course ensued.
Demesne is raced by Chessher, his wife Desley, Michael (who was given a share because he provided the agistment venue) and Glenda Richardson.
The veteran of just 14 outings has noteworthy ancestors.
His grand-dam’s half brother Grand Lodge (GB) won twice in Britain at Group One level in the prestigious 1993 Dewhurst Stakes and the St James’s Palace Stakes, and the pedigree boasts stallions of the calibre of Roberto and Alleged.
Richardson has done a fine job in giving the horse an opportunity to develop before pushing on with its track career.
Demesne is well named through his sire.
The Domesday Book was an amazingly extensive record of the extent, worth, ownership, and liabilities of land in England.
It was complied in 1086 on the command of King William I (also known as William, The Conqueror).
Ancient demesne is apparently the legal term for the land held by the king at the time of the Domesday Book.
Hopefully, there are more conquests ahead for the Richardsons and the Chesshers.
Demesne is likely to tackle the metric mile Class B Handicap at Nanango on August 4.
Alannah Badger at Nanango in May 2016 (Photo: Ross Stanley)
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The Frosty Size Of Kosciuszko
A support act for The Everest at Randwick in October will be The Kosciuszko, a $1.3 million contest billed as the world’s richest country race.
There will be 12 slots.
While The Everest costs slot-holders $600,000 each to compete, the little “second-cousin” is based on a lottery that costs just five dollars to enter.
Each of the 12 winning ticket holders then have to arrange a sharing deal with the connections of any contender that is presently trained at a New South Wales country centre.
Entries for the September 14 draw must be purchased at a TAB facility at a NSW AHA establishment.
The project’s partners are the Australian Hotels Association, Tabcorp and Racing NSW.
The race sponsor, Lion Beer Australia, produces a Kosciuzsko beverage.
Furthermore, $125,000 from ticket-sales will be passed on to the Aussie Helpers charity that supports NSW farmers.
Whilst the initiative is exciting and enticing, time will tell regarding the scope of the equine participants.
The odds are that most of the open class gallopers will be lodgers at the larger country establishments.
Unless a slot holder has a particular affinity with a more remote part of the state, it is hard to imagine a selected horse being domiciled at the likes of Broken Hill, Balranald or Barraba.
Queensland’s successful Battle Of The Bush series sustained a very different approach.
The structure and rules ensured that representatives came from all over the state.
Setting the final as an event for performers who had not scored in Brisbane in the previous two years preserved the rural flavour superbly.
By the way, Stephen Ferguson, the A.H.A. Chief Executive Officer is a former C.E.O. of the Queensland Turf Club (2005-09) and the Brisbane Racing Club (2009-2013).
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Interstate Comparisons
New South Wales has also lifted its base prizemoney across its sectors in response its increased dividend from the new point of consumption tax.
Queensland has yet to define how those funds will be spent.
However, the major ongoing issue that continues to plague those north of the Tweed is the re-opening of Eagle Farm.
The track supervisor Mick Goodie, Flemington’s former overseer, gave a progress update recently that was devoid of any semblance of a reassuring timeline.
The youngest of the turf has been down just ten weeks, and with winter upon us it seems likely that nothing will be in full motion until 2019.
Maybe there will be good news in that regard and the tax benefit too … maybe!
