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FORMER STABLE COMPANIONS FIGHT OUT QLD OAKS
KIWI trainer, Paul O’Sullivan, celebrated
his departure for Hong Kong with a Group One success
when Vouvray beat former stable companion, Zumanity,
in last month’s Joe Richards’ Menswear
Queensland Oaks.
Having her first start for five weeks, Vouvray held
off the powerful burst of Zumanity to win the Eagle
Farm three-year-old classic by a short head. Favourite
Winning Belle was three lengths away third.
In a strange twist to the Oaks result, Vouvray and
Zumanity were both born in 2000 at the historic Treelawney
Stud at Cambridge, New Zealand, and were originally
trained by O’Sullivan.
Neither raced at two years, both making their debut
last November as three-year-olds and finishing out
of a place.
Vouvray won her Maiden in January and Zumanity
in April, after which connections received an offer
to sell her. She joined the stables of Sydney trainer,
John O’Shea, and won first-up for him in May.
O’Sullivan always believed Vouvray had the
right credentials to measure up as an Oaks prospect. “You
only have to look at her pedigree and see that she
is by Zabeel, which has thrown so many great stayers,” he
said.
It came as no surprise to him that Zumanity chased
her home. “It’s ironic when you consider
they used to run together in a paddock back home.
At trackwork leading up to the Oaks they were calling
out to each other.”
With O’Sullivan undertaking a lucrative training
contract in Hong Kong, Vouvray has joined the Melbourne
stable of former Queensland trainer, Peter Moody,
to prepare for the spring.
Vouvray’s win was the third Queensland Oaks
success for jockey Chris Munce, who won the race
last year on Zagalia and in 2000 on Giovanna.
QTC CUP WIN CAPS MAGICAL DAY FOR O’SULLIVAN
THE Queensland Oaks triumph of Vouvray capped a
magical hour for the O’Sullivan stable after
Falkirk won the Borelli at Joe Richards QTC Cup on
protest and qualified for a Stradbroke start.
In an ironic twist, jockey Chris Munce and trainer
Paul O’Sullivan were at loggerheads in the
stewards’ room one race before they combined
to win the Oaks.
Munce had won the G2 QTC Cup on the Sydneysider
Patpong, which scored a narrow win over the O’Sullivan-trained
Falkirk, whose rider, Scott Galloway, viewed the
video footage and lodged the protest.
Galloway told the protest hearing that Falkirk had ‘bungled
the crossing’ but was just starting to improve
at the top of the straight when Munce on Patpong
shifted out ‘under my neck.’
“I ended up on his heels. I was stopped in
my tracks. I pulled a good length off him over the
200m,” Galloway claimed, to which Munce replied: “I
got out safely and clearly.’
But stewards took only 90 seconds to reach their
decision. In upholding the protest, chief stipe Allan
Reardon, declared that Munce had come out when not
clear causing Falkirk to lose considerable ground.
Munce was suspended for nine meetings and fined
$2,000 on a careless riding charge. It followed another
suspension at the Gold Coast on PM’s Cup day.
QUEENSLAND Racing carnival news: John Lingard – June
7.
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