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SYDNEYSIDERS DOMINATE OPENING
DAY OF CARNIVAL
THE Sydneysiders dominated on the opening day of
the Brisbane winter racing carnival at NCF Doomben
winning three of the four feature races, highlighted
by Thorn Park’s success in the Richmond Grove
BTC Cup.
Ridden for the first time by Victorian jockey, Danny
Nikolic, Thorn Park overcame an obvious bias to front-runners
powering home from near last on the turn to beat
Queenslanders, Star of Florida and Regimental Gal.
Peter Cameron labelled Thorn Park a ‘bias
buster’ in his column in The Sunday Mail with
the declaration: “To win charging home against
the bias shows the Bob Thomsen-trained Thorn Park
is an elite galloper.”
The first big race of the carnival claimed a prize
scalp in Regimental Gal with trainer Shaun Dwyer
wisely opting to send the millionaire filly for an
immediate spell.
“I was worried before the home turn,” Dwyer
said. “She had her ears back and wasn’t
comfortable. She tried hard but clearly is ready
for a break.”
The much-maligned Thorn Park landed his fourth Group
2 win and his first for new owners, Nelson Schick’s
Windsor Park Stud, of Cambridge, New Zealand.
The four-year-old son of Spinning World will now
head to the Doomben 10,000 and Stradbroke Handicap
in a bid to claim Group 1 success before being retired
to stud in the spring.
Trainer Pat Duff, who prepared the speedy Star of
Florida for a close and courageous second, likened
the finishing burst of Thorn Park to the great Bernborough.
“I thought we had just lasted. It was a great
run but we were beaten by a very good horse,” said
Duff, who will wait for at least a week before he
decides whether to start Star of Florida in the 10,000
on May 22.
Thomsen, who was high in his praise for the patient
ride of Nikolic, said: “That’s the way
you’ve got to ride him. He’s got to be
ridden stone cold. And boy did Danny do a good job?
“I’ve always said that Thorn Park is
a one-dimensional horse. There’s nothing wrong
with that. Shogun Lodge was a one dimensional horse
and he banked $4.7 million in stakes.”
Thomsen said Thorn Park needed two things to perform
at his best – pace in the race and a good track. “Our
concern was never about whether he would be good
enough to win.
“It was about whether the track would be conducive
to his being able to perform to his top level. I
guess the result speaks for itself. And the way he
got to the line suddenly makes the 1350m of the Doomben
10,000 seem real good for us.”
BOOM KIWI NEVER SIGHTED AT
AUSTRALIAN DEBUT
EVEN the Kiwis were prepared to concede that boom
colt King’s Chapel was disappointing at his
Australian debut in the Richmond Grove BTC Classic
at NCF Doomben on Saturday.
King’s Chapel, a winner at eight of his previous
12 starts across the Tasman, struggled to handle
the tight Doomben track with stewards reporting that
he made the 800m turn awkwardly.
“He was disappointing but a few things went
against us,” trainer Mark Walker conceded after
King’s Chapel finished 10th (beaten 6-3/4 lengths)
behind Gallieni from the Gerald Ryan stable.
King’s Chapel is now headed to the Gold Coast
Guineas on May 15th where he will clash with star
Toowoomba three-year-old Power And Gold, which missed
a BTC Classic start after an acceptance mix-up.
Gallieni, rated by the astute Ryan the equal of
his former star sprinter Zariz, will now step up
to the Doomben 10,000. The son of General Nediym
has now won six of his nine starts.
Jockey Brad Pengelly took Gallieni to the front
and he bolted in by almost five lengths from the
Toowoomba-trained Drunken Joker and the Victorian
filly, Sky Cuddle.
Ryan went to the Adelaide sales to buy Gallieni
but ended up underbidder to Aquanita Racing Stables.
The sale was disputed and he ended up with the yearling.
“He is a lot like General Nediym. He has the
same action,” Ryan said. “I think Zariz
is as good a sprinter as I have trained and this
horse is right up with him.”
Jockey Justin Stanley put a big wrap on runner-up
Drunken Joker, which trainer Paul Wallace will now
also head to the Gold Coast Guineas.
“He ran a big race and would have finished
a lot closer second had he not been a bit slow out,” Stanley
said. “Make no mistake the winner is a very,
very good horse.”
HOLLINDALE RE-MATCH FOR CARNIVAL
CUP QUINELLA
THEY locked horns at the finish of the Doomben Carnival
Cup, in a protest aftermath in the stewards’ room
and are now set for a re-match in the A D Hollindale
Stakes at the Gold Coast in a fortnight.
Talented Sydney stayer This Manshood and the Queenslander
St Basil are set for a clash of State-of-Origin proportions
in the G2 $200,000 Norco Paul’s Milk weight-for-age
classic on May 15.
Trainer Bevan Laming felt St Basil suffered sufficient
interference at the entrance to the straight to warrant
firing in a protest after This Manshood prevailed
by a half neck in a torrid finish.
This Manshood, bred at Stan and Marilyn Johnston’s
Craiglea Stud, north of Brisbane, has proved a great
money-spinner for owners Clyde Halpin and Bruce Jude.
They sent the mare, Aythorpe Charm to Manshood but
she failed to get in foal. “Stan said he had
another mare in foal and if we paid the service fee
we could have the foal,” Mr Halpin recalled.
Our Gilded Lily produced This Manshood, which took
his record to 14 wins and 13 placings from 53 starts.
Success in the Group 3 Doomben Carnival Cup boosted
his earnings past $700,000. Not bad for an $1800
service fee.
Jockey Jim Cassidy was never concerned that This
Manshood would lose the protest whilst Zac Purton
believed a bump on straightening had cost St Basil
victory.
This Manshood was saddled up by Blake Ryan, deputising
for Tim Martin. He said the six-year-old, which had
finished fourth to Private Steer in the Doncaster
at his previous start, was on target for the Hollindale
Stakes and Doomben Cup.
QUEENSLAND Racing web news: John Lingard – May
3.
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Thorn
Park (Danny Nikolic) snatches a last stride win
in the Richmond Grove BTC Cup from
Star of Florida (Brad Stewart). |
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Sydney
jockey Brad Pengelly guides Gallieni to an easy
win in the Richmond Grove BTC Classic. |
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Sydney
stayer This Manshood (Jim Cassidy) returns
after his win in the Doomben Carnival Cup. |
(Noel Pascoe photos)
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