March 18, 2022
Former Oakey trainer Patrick Sexton had a very profitable time at his first try on his new home ground at Lee Park.
His four candidates claimed a treble and a quinella at Nanango’s February fixture.
The Waiting Man (Gemma Steele, $2.80) didn’t hang around in the Malcom McCallum Memorial Class B. The Bel Esprit gelding was always up on the pace and overcame a wide gate to score decisively.
The big strong cuddy, with Steele aboard, was beaten a head the previous week over Dalby’s metric half mile trip.
This time the duo were too good for Timely Reward, the mare that battled on well to give the local rookie trainer Adam Briskey a thrill with his first runner.
And the Barry Phillips trained Glam Rock completed a South Burnett trifecta.
In the Nanango Members Cup (1000m), Ask Audrey (Montana Philpot, $1.70) made it a double for yard.
Sexton did a remarkable job to have Raku’s Secret (Gemma Steele, $5.50) primed for the BM 50 Handicap (1200m) after a full year’s absence.
Despite drifting off course in the straight, the Spirit Of Boom mare was too good for the stablemate Run The Cutter.
Last Saturday, Run The Cutter and Raku’s Secret were both a head shy of victory at Wandowan and on Caloundra’s synthetic course respectively.
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Lee Park conditioner Glenn Richardson saddled up two aspirants at Nanango’s February meeting.
Mr Noddy picked up first prize money in the Nanango RSL-Pedersen Memorial QTIS Class 2 Handicap (1000m).
Informer was again the bridesmaid in the Nanango Bookmakers Association Maiden Plate (1200m).
Earlier this month, she registered her eighth placing in 20 starts with her second at the Sunshine Coast.
Last Saturday Glenn recorded two comfortable wins.
Weboughtazoo (Olivia Webb, $1.40) prevailed at Wandowan, and at Bundaberg, I Am Fearless (Ailsha Donald) romped in from Timely Reward, the Reward For Effort mare that has transferred from Adam Briskey to Nicole Vuille.
(Photo: Ross Stanley)
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Callaghan Park trainer Leanne Applewaite paid $7,000 for I Am Fearless with the intention of racing him as a family.
“I was having trouble getting horses worked in Rockhampton,” Applewaite said.
“I Am Fearless had been in the spelling farm for five months with no light at the end of the tunnel. We decided to gift the horse to the Kirks and my daughter Taylor retained her share.”
Kathy Duff was understandably tickled pink with the I Am Invincible four-year-old’s second success from two tasks for Richardson.
Three of her relatives are in the horses ownership – her nephew Stuart Kirk and Leanne’s daughter Taylor are partners, Susan Kirk is her sister and Brett Kirk is her brother-in -law.
Leanne Applewaite bought well. Her selection has already earnt well over double its purchase price.
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Bits And Bridles
- Hannah Richardson suffered injuries to her ribs, lung and shoulder when she was dislodged from Zakheera on the way to the barriers at Toowoomba on February 19. The fraternity wishes her all the very best for her recovering phase.
- Upcoming race days are at Nanango (Easter Saturday, April 23); Wondai’s Anzac Day meeting (April 25) and Burrandowan’s Centenary Race Meeting (Saturday, May 7).
- Cricketing icons Rodney Marsh and Shane Wartne will both be remembered for posterity by an unlikely source – the Australian Stud Book. Courtmarsh, the 1980 born mare by Noble Charger triggered a stream of names linked to the wonderful wicket keeper. Her progeny included Well Done Bacchus, Iron Gloves, Outside Edge, Kiss Me Merv, Master Keeper and Bowled Lillee, the dam of Middle Stump, Question Asked, Deekayel and Long Room. Meanwhile, Warne was the name given to the 1990 foal sired by Casual Lies. The dam Craft was a daughter of Very Rare. The champion spinner also has two namesakes called the Sheik of Tweak. The thoroughbred born in 2009 was by Hard Spun from Mighty Indeed. Gatting, a reminder of the extraordinary delivery that bowled the English batsman, was also by Hard Spun from the Lohnro mare Stubborn.
The aforementioned Kiss Me Merv’s 1993 colt was the other Sheilk of Tweak. The connection is Shane Warne’s close team mate Merv Hughes, the Victorian and Australian fast bowler with an unmissable moustache.
