December 19, 2022
Apprentice Landan Sykes, 18, made quite an impression when he landed a double at Lee Park at the beginning of this month.
The 18-year-old had Legend Rules travelling sweetly before coming off the rails at the right time to claim the Heritage Bank Burnett To The Beach 0-60 Handicap.
His polished work on Evrynow’N’Then in the G3 Engineering Nanango QTIS Benchmark was downright thrilling.
At the top of the lane, catching the clear leader Craiglea Agena seemed to be a mission impossible. However, Sykes spotted space over on the inside and drove up to head off Boult. The first prize still seemed to be beyond reach, but Vic Heading’s charge flew to snatch victory in the shadows of the post.
Sykes is indentured to John Thomas at Braeside Racing Stables, opposite Toowoomba’s Clifford Park.
His debut at Warwick on November 11 saw both his mounts fill runner-up berths.
Landan has partnered eight winners, nine more placegetters and chalked up three doubles from his 40 subsequent rides across nine meetings, ranging from Roma to Mount Perry. On two occasions, it was Thomas who met him at the winner’s slot.
The other novice to taste success is the former jockey Joshua Morrow.
He is around six foot two in the old money and would obviously been the first selected for a jockeys’ basketball team.
With weight always the nemesis, Joshua found a great time to break his duck.
By booting home The Irons in the 2019 Burrandowan Cup, he scored a fine piece of jewellery crafted and presented by Kathy Duff.
Having saluted just twice from 43 rides in the 2019-20 season, Morrow packed away his raceday kit bag.
He is now a trainer operator of the Morrow Performance Horses outfit, a breaking-in and pre-training set up at the Bahram Training Centre near Toowoomba at Westbrook.
His first runner, Beltana, finished third at Miles on February 12. Subsequently, Joshua stepped out 18 more hopefuls at Warwick, Toowoomba, Warra, Roma, Gayndah, Stanthorpe, Caloundra and Ipswich for four more place cheques before breaking through with the in-form Lynric Lass (Emily Lang, $1.90) at Texas on 10 December.
The significance of the effort lies in the fact that the mare, named for the elderly owner Lynette Sullivan and her late husband Ric, had incurred several stewards embargoes for refusing to load.
Morrow was initially tasked with remediating the galloper’s barrier behaviour.
With a reinstatement announced on October 18, Lynette opted to leave Lynric Lass with him. Six days after the Texan outcome, the Top Echelon four-year-old ran a tidy third on Sullivan’s home turf at Rockhampton.
One of Morrow’s mentors is Steve Tregea, the Downs horseman who is now a household name, courtesy of the feats of Incentivise.
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Bits And Bridles
- The Burnett to the Beach Series has reached the half-way mark.The remaining offerings are scheduled next year for Gympie (March 4), Monto (March 25) , Wondai (April 25) , Burrandowan (May 6) and Bundaberg (May 13). Currently, the leaders are trainers Bob Murray (27 points) and Gary Clem (26), jockeys Landan Sykes (28) and Kelly Gates (27) and horses Jamesatelli (26) and Comments (16).
- Prince of Diamonds, prepared by by Nanango conditioner Kaye Hill, was successful in Class B company at Esk last Saturday with Brendon Newport aboard. The Moshe gelding’s seven previous outings since May had garnered three place money cheques. In fact, the chestnut’s 14 assignments since its September 2020 debut for Hill have picked up two wins and six other top three finishes. Throw in the fact Prince of Diamonds was on the sidelines for nearly nine months during that period, it is fair to say that Kaye’s persistence has been duly rewarded.
- Kym Afford returned to the winner’s list when Daunting Warrior prevailed at Bundaberg on 10 December. The stable’s previous win had been at Gympie in October when Gossiaux beat three rivals.
- Nanango trainer Adam Briskey has been teasingly close to saddling up another winner. He did the trick with Blue Smartie at Toowoomba on July 30 and The Knight at Gympie on September 17. Last Saturday at Esk, he recorded placings with The Angels Kiss and Zelson. Along the way Oakvale Lass, Dragon Claws, Invaness, Missile Magic and Beeokay have stood on the podium. The side’s tally of placings for this season stands at 11. No one would begrudge the yard a prompt change of luck.
- Sad to report that Nanango Race Club life member Graeme Ryan died on December 1. He was involved with the club from its outset in 1968. Over the years, he filled a range of roles including starter, jockey room attendant and judging duties. Graeme was a grazier with a strong interest also in the sport of campdrafting. He was one of nature’s quietly spoken gentlemen. Condolences are extended to Graeme’s family and friends, particularly his stalwart Lee Park colleagues.
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Late Gift Suggestion
If you are looking for a Christmas present for a racing fan, the “100 Years of Racing At Burrandowan” by Dr Judith Grimes OAM is a beautiful keepsake book that is filled with stories and photographs that trace many facets of the race club from its birth in 1922.
Orders can be placed online
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If you are looking for something to fill in time while you are in recovery mode on Boxing Day, you can settle back and enjoy the wonderful South Burnett photographs captured by John Dalton.
His coverage of this year’s Burrandowan meeting is accessible via the Photo Gallery 2022 on the club’s home page.
The other great set of images is on the Nanango Race Club’s Facebook page in the December program section.
Festive Season’s greetings to all!
