Crowds Toast Local Winners

The Wondai Races had an Oktoberfest feel for this group of friends … from left, Amy Stevens, Kingaroy; Richelle Rae, Sunshine Coast; Lisa and Ben Saunders, Sunshine Coast; Kyla Bonney, Sunshine Coast; Ryan Stevens, Kingaroy; Janet Thomson, Wondai; and, at front, Bokyeom Saunders, 7, from the Sunshine Coast

October 23, 2025

It was a big day at the Wondai Races on Saturday … not only were punters eager to catch the Caulfield Cup and The Everest on screen, but the home-grown Wondai Cup was also being raced.

The cup, which honours local racing stalwarts Glenis and Roy Radunz, was won by a Wondai horse which, not surprisingly, started as favourite.

Aces Up is owned and trained by Wondai-based Kym Afford, which made the easy win by the five-year-old gelding very popular with racegoers.

The Race 2 winner, Brilliant Eight, is another local entrant but has travelled a long way during its racing career prior to its Wondai outing.

The seven-year-old is owned and trained these days by Hivesville-based Lindsay Anderson, but before that raced in Hong Kong and Victoria.

Another big event on the day was Race 4, the Monica Ryan-Kathleen Hoult Memorial, which marks the day in 1990 when female jockeys won all seven races on the card in Wondai.

The Memorial was won by Daunting Instinct, with Kelly Gates on board; fellow female jockeys Erin Molloy and Julie Busuttin took out the minor places.

In fact, the women stole the limelight at Wondai on Saturday.

Male jockey Morgan Butler’s success in Race 1, and a placing in Race 5, were the only things which stopped a clean sweep by female jockeys across the meeting.

The weather has played havoc at Wondai race meetings in the past so racegoers and club officials watched anxiously during the afternoon as storm clouds started to build to the south of the course.

These concerns prompted the start of Race 5 to be brought forward to ensure the Wondai Cup would be run and won before any raindrops could start falling.

The next race meeting in the South Burnett will be the “Flemington In The Bush” Melbourne Cup race day at Kumbia on November 4.

Jodie Miller, from Nanango, and Clarissa Tanner, from Kingaroy, were enjoying a day at the races

Jockey Kelly Gates and Wondai-based trainer Kym Afford with Wondai Cup winner Aces Up

Roy and Glenis Radunz presented the Wondai Cup trophy to local trainer Kym Afford

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Fashions Of The Field

The popular Fashions of the Field competition was compered by South Burnett Mayor Kathy Duff and judged by Rod and Jenny Morgan, from Nanango.

It was the second fashions competition the couple had judged on Saturday; they rushed to Wondai Racecourse after judging the fashion parade at Nanango’s Waterhole Rocks rock’n’roll festival.

Fashions of the Field compere Mayor Kathy Duff, right, with Best Dressed Lady winner Verelle O’Shanesy, from Jandowae, and runner-up Aleisha Roberts, from Wondai

Harriet Roberts, 3, from Wondai, was sashed Best Dressed Girl by Mayor Kathy Duff

Harper Fuller-Sandys, 5, from Wooroolin, was sashed Best Dressed Boy

Nathan Dean was celebrating his birthday, which explains the pink tutu in the Men’s Fashions competition

Mayor Kathy Duff with Best Dressed Gentleman Josh Steinhardt, from Murgon, and runner-up Matt Prior, from Ipswich

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Race Results

The tightly packed field approaches the winning post for the first time in the 1577m Race 4

Race 1 – Across Country Real Estate Burnett To The Beach Series – Heat – Benchmark 50 Handicap (1100m)
1. Smackeroony (1) – Morgan Butler
2. Paballo (2) – Kayla Johnston
3. Great Angles (7) – Julie Busuttin
Time: 1:05.56
Margins: 1/2 length x 3 lengths

Race 2 – South Burnett Real Estate QTIS Maiden Plate (1000m)
1. Brilliant Eight (1) – Kelly Gates
2. Tinkertino (8) – Kayla Johnston
3. Superior Fun (7) – Julie Busuttin
Time: 1:00.32
Margins: 1 3/4 lengths x 5 lengths

Race 3 – Wondai Post Office Benchmark 60 Handicap (850m)
1. Paper Cowboy (4) – Kayla Johnston
2. Amphawa (3) – Julie Busuttin
3. Hattusa (7) – Erin Molloy
Time: 0:49.70
Margins: Long neck x half neck

Race 4 – The Monica Ryan & Kathleen Hoult Memorial Ratings Band 0-50 Handicap (1577m)
1. Daunting Instinct (7) – Kelly Gates
2. Hell Of A Prince (3) – Erin Molloy
3. Summer Star (1) – Julie Busuttin
Time: 1:38.87
Margins: 1 length x 2 lengths

Race 5 – The Roy & Glenis Radunz Wondai Cup Open Handicap (1577m)
1. Aces Up (6) – Kelly Gates
2. Stampede Warrior (1) – Julie Busuttin
3. Take The Lead (4) – Morgan Butler
Time: 1:38.66
Margins: 3 1/4 lengths x 1 1/4 lengths