September 6, 2018
by Ross Stanley
Fancy investing $400 and grossing a cool $100,115? Canid and his camp, headed by buyer and trainer Glenn Richardson, have reached that milestone.
The reigning Nanango Horse Of The Year won’t be saddling up for Saturday’s home town program.
It will be a deserved day off for the Elusive City gelding that has won five of his past seven starts.
The bay has never been in better form.
Last Saturday’s Bundaberg success, with Shane Shield as pilot, made it a dozen lifetime victories to go with 14 seconds, 14 thirds and 11 fourths from a total of 78 chores.
In short, Canid has collected a cheque on a “two-out-of-three” average.
Since his long injury break (and impending retirement), the horse that actually turns eight on Victoria Derby day on November 3 has discarded the tag of being a place specialist.
Hopefully, his connections will throw a top hat and tails birthday party for their classic rags to riches boy.
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repeat the dose there on Saturday (Photo: Ross Stanley)
A Look At Lee Park
When it comes to attracting numbers, the Nanango program has been up against Kilcoy (Thursday) and Goondiwindi on Saturday.
The Richardson, Patrick Sexton and Bradley Hudson stables have split their representatives up this weekend.
That is perfectly understandable as getting the right class and distance for a galloper is a key aspect of planning.
Tidbits about the Lee Park line-ups include the following:
- Dalby performer Music Scene’s career line reads as 56: 5-16-8. That means he has been best man for almost 30 per cent of his time on the turf. The David Reynolds yard entry has filled second or third place nine times out of his most recent 11 opportunities. Please give him a rapturous round of applause if he salutes on Saturday. Beau Appo, a Nanango Cup-winning rider, will be in the pigskin for the Three Way Photos BM 65 Handicap (800m)
- The Hooligan is the opposite case. The five-year-old is unbeaten after two tries. Nanango Race Club has to be pleased the Gatton galloper is appearing because he drew quite a cheer squad to last month’s fixture. The Tanabota gelding is engaged in the Nanango Caravan Services and Repairs Class B Handicap (1000 m). It is very pleasing to see a new sponsor supporting the local industry. The contest is brimful of interest. Past Dark, Nonchalante, Lil Ruby Rose and Riverina Rose are all previous winners on the course.
- South Burnett apprentices Hannah Phillips and Hannah English, who booted home Cliveden at Toowoomba last Sunday, both have full books for the Nanango card.
- When doing the form for Lee Park, remember that Wondai, Gympie and Bundaberg performances are on sand surfaces.
- Another reminder: the format for the Moffatdale Ridge Wines Fashion judging has been altered. Entrants need to post a selfie taken at the track to Instagram or Nanango Race Club’s Facebook page before 3:00pm. The theme is 50s Spring Florals. A maximum temperature of 23 degrees is the early prediction.
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Birdsville Beckoned
Miles conditioner Bevan Johnson, the 2017 Queensland Country Trainer of the Year, saddled up 15 contenders at last week’s two-day Birdsville carnival.
He picked the juiciest plum, the $41,800 Birdsville Cup (1600m), with Blue Jest, the veteran that was partnered by his apprentice Adin Thompson.
The much travelled campaigner’s three previous treks to Birdsville had put together a minor Class B placing in 2014, a BM 70 victory in 2015 and an unplaced result in last year’s Cup.
Just for something different, the Olympus gelding, now with $216,625 in the bank, competed at the Cairns Amateurs at this time in 2016.
Yeezy, a seventh placegetter at Nanango in August, was runner-up in Class 1 grade at Birdsville on Friday prior to backing up the next day to finish a handy fifth at Class 2 level.
The Johnson-Thompson unit also prevailed on Saturday with Still The Same, the Nadeem gelding that ran seventh at Wondai on Anzac Day.
Looking forward to the usual great day of racing on Saturday.
You’ll then have to wait three months for the next outing at Lee Park.
