June 10, 2019
Barcaldine hosted the final southern heat of the Battle of the Bush Series on Stradbroke Day, and things will rapidly heat up from here.
That Eastern Downs qualifying event was won by Hanover Square and gave Miles trainer Bevan Johnson multiple contenders.
The replacement for the Mareeba washout is scheduled for Cairns this week.
That race is the only one of the stipulated 16 opportunities remaining.
Meanwhile, the David Reynolds-Leeanne McCoy team gained a spot with Music Scene’s recent victory at Goondiwindi.
The final line-up will be completed this Wednesday.
Horses that were unplaced can be nominated in the off chance that insufficient numbers of the placed brigade are left at final acceptance time on June 12.
The barrier draw for the Tattersall’s Tiara and the Battle of the Bush Final will be conducted in Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall on Wednesday, June 19 at 9:30am.
The earlier than usual finalising of the field is essential because there are significant travel times associated with the faraway aspirants.
Nanango’s representative Machu Picchu is due to be lucky when it comes to her starting gate.
Last year, Glenn Richardson’s pair Canid and Klammer drew 20 and 16 respectively.
The $125,000 Final, a Quality Handicap for candidates that are winless in metropolitan grade for the past two years, will be part of the Tattersall’s card at Eagle Farm on June 22.
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(Photo: Ross Stanley)
Bits And Bridles
- The Richardson stable has produced two winners of late. Fastnet Rock’s grand-daughter Siouxsie ($4.20) romped home in a Gayndah Maiden on a soft track. Officials at all south-eastern courses on the second Saturday in June must have been anxious if they perused the weather radar maps. Although Bluff and Injune were abandoned, all other meetings survived.
- Earlier, Richardson’s Central Queensland sortie was a mixed bag. On A Comet got in by more than seven panels at Gladstone at the beginning of this month. The former Hunter Valley conveyance hesitated at barrier rise on his first appearance for the new yard at Lee Park over the metric half mile on May 25. The lightly raced More Than Ready four-year-old should derive a boost of confidence from the winning experience.
- Eight Over, Siouxsie and the juvenile Succinite all registered second placings during the Rockhampton-Gladstone excursion.
- Hannah Phillips continues to click with Matt Kropp’s string. She booted home Jondy Joy ($8) in a $16,500 Dalby maiden on June 6. Four days earlier, the Nanango apprentice had visited the Toowoomba winner’s slot aboard Matt Boland’s charge Gets Smokin’ ($16). The side picked up a $21,000 Class 1 Handicap.
- Wondai is the venue for racing on Saturday, July 6. The prize money lure of a QTIS Bonus Maiden Plate (1100m) will see eligible fillies and mares chase $10,250 for first. $8,500 is the males’ top reward.
- The South Burnett Race Club’s handily-placed Marquee Mall is a comfortable reserved table set up that is inexpensive and must be pre-paid. Spaces are limited (they were sold out at the last meetinbg on Anzac Day). For more information, contact Christienne Nettelfield on 0499-873-269.
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Changes To Apprentice Allowance System
From July 1, for the purpose of apprentice claims, all wins at TAB and non-TAB meetings at rural venues will be classified as Country.
Provincvial allowances will only be impacted at Rockhampton, Townsville, Gold Coast (except Magic Millions and the Hollindale Stakes meetings), Ipswich (except Cup Day), Sunshine Coast (except Cup Day), Toowoomba (except Cup Day), Mackay Cup Day and Cairns Cups’ Days.
Effectively, there has been double dipping whereby a win at a country TAB program was counted in both the country and provincial tally.
By the way, claim ranges are as follows:
- Country: Four kilograms (until 5 wins), 3kg (20), 2kg (50), 1.5kg (80)
- Provincial: Three kilograms (to 20), 2kg (50), 1.5kg (80 including Metropolitan but excluding Country wins)
- Metropolitan: Three kilograms (to 20), 2kg (50), 1.5kg (80 excluding Provincial and Country)
