August 3, 2018
Last year, jockey Cecily Eaton took out the 2017 Nanango Cup at Lee Park on the Darling Downs nine-year-old King Ludwig.
Matthew Gray, on the topweight Dutch Treat, is the only male rider to be legged up for this Saturday’s metric mile journey for the open handicappers.
Eaton (on This Is Livin’), Hannah English (Cavitation), Hannah Phillips (Mendelssohn), Leeanne McCoy (Gud Onya), Rebecca Williams (Singaraja) and Madeleine Wishart (Shadow Empire) give the ladies weight of numbers.
Some form observations for the $10,000 XXXX Fitzroy Nanango Cup are as follows:
- Although Singaraja has just turned 11, he was a stout third in last year’s edition and has a 2: 0-0-2 record over the 1600 metres at Lee Park. The Keep The Faith gelding and Williams have combined to win at Warwick and Kilcoy already this year. The duo were only five lengths adrift of the victorious Charles The Third at the Gold Coast a fortnight ago. The Graham Banks trained conveyance has handled firm tracks whereas all his rivals have yet to compete at Nanango.
- Cavitation is well weighted in comparison to Mendelssohn. He prevailed a fortnight back over the mile at St George. The German composer’s namesake was four panels astern in the minor placing but is disadvantaged by one and a half kilograms for the upcoming clash. English, who finished fourth on Excellent Spirit twelve months ago, would love to collect her hometown Cup to go with her 2017-18 Lee Park premiership.
- The consistent Dutch Treat has been on the podium for half of her 38 career starts. However ten of those results were chalked up in soft or heavy conditions. Matthew Gray has been her partner for each of her past 17 outings. Reportedly, when he takes her out for a victory celebration, they pay their own way.
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Wholesome Cup Day Fare
The Nanango card for Saturday boasts seven competitive contests.
Owners are no doubt thankful that, when 25 of the 27 nominations for the McDonalds Kingaroy QTIS Maiden Plate (1000m) proceeded to the acceptance stage, Racing Queensland kept the faith and created two divisions.
Accordingly, 14 sets of connections of QTIS eligible gallopers get a crack at the very useful bonuses.
That is surely a healthy strategy when it comes to attracting and retaining bloodstock buyers!
It is fitting that the event that honours John Lee, the long-serving Nanango Race Club President, was oversubscribed.
The late local racing stalwart was always immensely proud of the strong field-sizes at Nanango, and this time it has been achieved despite Gatton’s Friday program.
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The Inverell Raiders
New England horseman Luke Berger has a trio engaged at Lee Park.
Apart from Cavitation, he is set to saddle up Mellore in the Deb Frecklington MP-J.A. Lee Memorial BM 60 Handicap and the Redoute’s Choice four-year-old Panorama, a recent Mungundi Maiden winner, in the Heritage Nanango Class B Handicap.
The head of Lukanna Lodge at Inverell has experience to utilise following his tenures with Helen Page, Bryan Guy and David Kelly.
Berger’s northern sorties have been productive in the past with his string members saluting at Goondiwindi, Texas, Dalby, Warwick, Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast.
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Bits And Bridles
- In the fifth offering on the program, Go Get Sum has to give Revelio three and a half kilograms for his nose deficit when they clashed at Nanango in May. The Toowoomba performer is paying the price for his sterling third in the $100,000 Battle Of The Bush Final at Doomben.
- Premier trainer Glenn Richardson has plenty of firepower for the first of six battles he faces in defence of his title. The Lee Park conditioner will be busy tending to Air To Spare, Tenor Lass, Freeze de Beers, Navillus Stryker, Revelio and Demesne.
- Scott Pedron (Strategic Beauty), Kym Afford (Buck’s Me Boy) and Peter Blackwell (Naviullus Dolly) are the other South Burnett trainers with runners engaged locally.
- The annual Blessing of the Jockeys will usher in the new season. The brief ceremony will be held before the 12:45 pm opener.
- The Moffatdale Ridge Wines spot Fashion Theme is Elegant Black and Ravishing Red.
- Racegoers will have a chance to win a 9000 pound winch courtesy of the new local business 4X4 Xtreme Sport.
- The Nanango Tourism Development Association (NaTDA) is conducting its Founders Day occasion trackside in the Old Railway Station building precinct before the day’s racing gets underway.
- The highlight of the televised interstate action will be the Missile Stakes in Sydney. The sprint filed includes some of the prospects for The Everest in the spring.
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Question: Why would anyone stay away from the racecourse on Saturday when a pleasant 24 degrees is the afternoon prediction?
Answer: There is no answer.
See you trackside!
