Jockeys And Racegoers In The Pink

Francine Hancock, from Kingaroy, was enjoying the racing action from the shade in front of the race club’s canteen, and showing off her striking pink Hawaiian shirt

February 19, 2019

It was a special day for the ladies at Nanango’s Lee Park racetrack on Saturday … there was a sea of pink in the stands for Valentine’s Day and women also starred on the track.

In fact, 11 of the 15 places were taken out by female jockeys, including three wins notched up by Nanango hoop Hannah English.

At the start of the day, English and fellow Nanango rider Hannah Phillips were neck-and-neck on Nanango Race Club’s Jockey’s Premiership table.

Phillips had three wins and three second placings to her credit, while English was just a hair’s breadth behind her with three wins and two thirds.

But by the end of the day, English had taken top position on the table with a convincing three wins and two thirds, outpacing Phillips’ hard-fought pair of second placings by a wide margin.

The two jockeys will have just two more chances to improve their Premiership standing at Nanango Race Club’s Easter Meeting on April 20, and the follow-up meeting on May 25.

The competition between the Nanango jockeys was a highlight of the Race Club’s first meeting for 2019, which drew a good-sized crowd to the track to enjoy a pleasant summer’s day.

The meeting’s fashion theme was “Pink, Pink and More Pink” and many patrons made liberal use of the colour.

Women in striking pink dresses mingled with gentlemen wearing anything from pink bow ties to pink hats. Those who remembered to post a selfie to the Race Club’s Facebook or Instagram pages found themselves in the running for Moffatdale Ridge Fashions Of The Field prizes.

But just to be certain the competition was fierce, Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff took to the concourse with her telephone and snapped a few photos of her own.

Cr Duff always crafts a silver bracelet to present to the women’s fashion winner at the February meeting.

This year it as won by Ashley Chandler, from Goomeri, with Kingaroy’s May O’Brien taking out the runner-up prize.

The meeting also paid tribute to former Race Club president Col Ryan, who died last December after a short illness.

The day began with a minute’s silence in memory of this popular, long-time Nanango Race Club volunteer.

The South Burnett’s next race meeting will be at Lee Park on Easter Saturday, April 20, followed soon afterwards by the South Burnett Race Club’s Anzac Day meeting in Wondai on April 25.

Both meetings are always very popular with racegoers, and regularly draw some of the biggest crowds of the year.

Nanango Race Club volunteer Bruce Webb and president Andrew Green chatted with Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff, centre, before the day’s racing got underway

Winners are grinners … Race 1 sponsor Alan (Dozer) Bechly congratulated trainer Jim Hannah on his winning horse Dabke, which blitzed its next nearest rival to the winning post by almost four lengths

Children were kept entertained with free face painting from Karla’s Carnival … Denise Smith admires her handiwork on Haylie Pedron, 9, from Nanango

Twins Cherry and Minnie Martoo, from Kingaroy, were congratulated on their face-painting disguises by their proud mother Bronwyn

Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff presented a hand-made silver bracelet to Women’s Fashions Of The Field winner Ashley Chandler, from Goomeri … Cr Duff stayed up to the wee hours to craft it

Fashions runner-up May O’Brien, who recently returned to Kingaroy after several years in western Queensland, was congratulated by Cr Duff on her elegant outfit

Dexter Sullivan, Hamish Tucker, 9, and Denise Scriven were delighted when their horse Black Envy took first prize in Race 4

Nanango friends Clarissa Prescott and Rebecca Alexander took a day off at the track to discuss plans for Clarissa’s upcoming wedding on March 10

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Canid, with top local jockey Hannah English aboard, was a clear winner in the day’s second race

Results

Race 1 – Bechly’s Transport Class B Handicap (800m)
1. Dabke (2) – Hannah English
2. Mountain Retreat (7) – Hannah Phillips
3. Forgotten Feeling (3) – Kelly Gates
Time: 0:45.62
Margins: 3 1/2 Lengths x Neck

Race 2 – Evolution Hair Studio Open Handicap (1000m)
1. Canid (2) – Hannah English
2. Stella’s Dream (5) – Gregory Hayes
3. Tycoon Zip (1) – Leeanne McCoy
Time: 0:57.06
Margins: Long Neck x Short 1/2 Head

Race 3 – Ken Mills Toyota Maiden Plate (1200m)
1. Adayondek (5) – Montanna Savva
2. Swagman (4) – Joshua King
3. Beauty Secrets (6) – Hannah English
Time: 1:12.08
Margins: Nose x Neck

Race 4 – Nanango Bookmakers Association BenchMark 50 Handicap (1200m)
1. Black Envy (1) – Hannah English
2. Telloff (7) – Hannah Phillips
3. Blackridge (3) – Jason Missen
Time: 1:10.51
Margins: Long neck x 1 1/4 Lengths

Race 5 – Heritage Bank Nanango BenchMark 55 Handicap (1600m)
1. Wild Element (8) – Robert Faehr
2. Rahdane (3) – Kelly Gates
3. Sail The Stars (11) – Hannah English
Time: 1:35.67
Margins: 1 1/4 Lengths x Long Neck