April 2, 2019
Saturday, April 6 is Toowoomba’s red-letter day for 2019: Clifford Park’s upcoming stand-alone feature card.
And given its proximity, it’s likely to be of interest to the South Burnett fraternity.
After the field contesting the $150,000 Audi Centre Weetwood Handicap leaves the back straight, it will pass by the source of the listed event’s name.
Weetwood House was built adjacent to the course in 1888 for Richard Scholefield, an early stalwart of the Toowoomba Turf Club.
The $150,000 TAB Toowoomba Cup will also be decided at the gala meeting.
This staging marks the centenary of what could be termed continuous Cups – versions earlier than 1919 had been temporary in nature.
History was made on March 28, 1992 during a program that had kicked off in daylight.
Waigani Drive, who beat Full Suit in the Toowoomba Cup in track record time, was the first winner of a thoroughbred race run under lights in Australia.
Toowoomba trainer Michael Flanigan was the Church Parade (GB) gelding’s early educator.
Unfortunately, soreness plagued a number of attempts to get the bay with a name derived from a road in Port Moresby to the track.
After an eternity in the paddock, Waigani Drive was then a fluke $100 buy for Kumbia horseman Alexander (Sandy) Lennox.
Birdsville was the initial target that he, along with his wife Pam and Mount Isa’s Ian and Eileen Steffen, had in mind for their new unraced purchase.
The career debut at Kumbia at age five was followed by several outings before things clicked and Waigani Drive was on his way to picking up more than $130,000 in stakes, courtesy of a 10-12-6 scoreline.
Testament, Church Parade’s best son, won the middle-distance Guineas at Auckland and Waikato.
Planet Kingdom and Alcimedes appear on Waigani Drive’s maternal side.
The sires collectively produced the likes of Ming Dynasty, Mighty Kingdom, Our Planet, Galilee, Divide and Rule, Silver Knight and Prince Grant.
Lennox, a builder by trade, was an analytical horseman with polocrosse and New Zealand stud experiences to draw on.
Waigani Drive loved his South Burnett environment and made himself one of the household.
”Bobby” flourished under a searching training regime that included mustering, and had a real affinity with Phillip Wolfgram, the apprentice whose silken rein work served the cause well.
Flanigan did get to spend time in the Cup limelight.
His charge Full Suit prevailed in 1993 while another lodger in Rue The Saint did likewise in 2004.
Furthermore, Dutch Boy, Full Suit’s full brother, shared that same exposure with his trainer Bruce McLachlan in 1994.
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Tale From The Past
Back in the day, Bill Russell was a Weetwood hero.
Firstly, he was the winning hoop on Zoeller (1910) and King Gowrie (1913).
He saddled up the winner Saliden, victorious in 1929, and the aptly named Happy Returns for his 1934-1936-1940 Weetwood treble.
Although Oakey businessman Eddie Walker had no interest in horse-racing, he and a mate tried to buy Bachelor’s Perrse to use as a private stallion.
After they were promptly outbid, friends urged Walker to pick up a broodmare.
Eventually Walker caved in and got Queen’s Birthday for just 20 guineas.
Unbeknown to him she was pregnant to Bachelor’s Persse, and the result was Happy Returns.
As fate would have it, Schoolmate, the runner-up in the 1936 Weetwood was raced by J. H. Walker, Eddie’s brother.
Schoolmate (Bill Briscoe) continued the siblings’ rare run by taking out the 1937 Weetwood.
Apprentice Neville Sellwood fluked the ride on Happy Returns in 1940. After arriving on course, Peter Morgan reneged on his booking and switched to Wiseland.
The next year, Sellwood booted home Romero in the coveted sprint.
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The Future
This year, local stables are seeking their tenth straight Weetwood.
It is to be hoped that the Cup, aided by a $50,000 increase in the purse, can soon regain its listed status.
Recent additions to the honour roll have been quality performers.
Pornichet, a million dollar earner, won the Doomben Cup at its next outing.
Military Move, the Group One star in New Zealand and Hong Kong that banked $1,665,000, Cylinder Beach ($537,000 in just 19 starts) and the Iglesia gelding Humma ($514,000) have all been significant money spinners.
