IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published by the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS reports on a the bargain buy that won the Townsville Cup for Mackay trainer John Manzelmann.
He also has a report on how top local jockey Graham Kliese shed plenty of weight to maintain the unbeaten North Queensland run of success by the former Victorian Ladretto in the Cleveland Bay Handicap.
The Butts column focuses on other column items of interest on the north’s biggest day of racing last Saturday when the Cup was decided at Cluden.
BARBAIN BUY WITH THE STRANGE NAME WINS THE TOWNSVILLE CUP
HE WAS knocked down to the astute and masterful Gold Coast trainer Alan Bailey at the 2009 Magic Million sales for $125,000.
And after a somewhat disappointing racing career he was then sold to Mackay trainer John Manzelmann last year at a tried horse sale for a paltry $2000.
On Saturday the rather aptly-named More More More finally delivered with one of the easiest wins ever in the Townsville Cup before a packed crowd at Cluden.
The sudden and belated burst into the big time has been a long time coming. And it’s not that he hadn’t had every opportunity to shine.
After being trained, and displaying early promise for the Bailey stable, he was transferred to the all-conquering Chris Waller Sydney stable where he performed only fairly, winning at Newcastle and a weak No Metro race at Canterbury.
JOHN MANZELMANN PICKED UP HIM FOR ONLY $2,000 AT A TRIED-HORSE SALE
IN September last year he was banished back into the sale ring.
John Manzelmann, a frequent customer at tried-horse sales all over the country, picked him up for just $2,000 and transformed the very costly $125,000 conveyance into a bargain basement buy.
It was More More More’s ninth win on Saturday and by far his biggest and best.
For trainer Manzelmann it was his second Townsville Cup, having previously won with Flying Test in 2009. And Chris Whiteley, the winning jockey, celebrated his fourth success in the race. Of course, there is little doubt he should have won it last year on I Got One.
But that’s another sad story.
JIM SWIFT QUICK TO MAKE A CONGRATULATORY CALL AFTER CLEVELAND BAY
TALKING of sad stories - most members of the racing community in the north are aware of the health problems being bravely fought by long time popular Charters Towers trainer Jim Swift.
Jim has not attended a race meeting for months – but is in everyone’s thoughts.
Graham Kliese, who won the Cleveland Bay aboard the new sprint sensation Ladretto on Saturday, was fielding congratulatory calls long into the night.
But the one he will remember most was the call from an unidentified number.
“I almost didn’t take it,” Kliese recalls.
It was from Jimmy Swift.
“I was gob-smacked,” said the jockey.
“You just wouldn’t think he would take neither the time nor the trouble to ring me and say good on ya mate – with the problems he has.
“It just shows you something about this racing game and the people in it
“That call from Jim Swift is one l will forever treasure.”
LADRETTO REMAINS UNBEATEN IN NQ WITH SUCCESS IN CLEVELAND BAY HANDICAP
AND the jockey who has had one of his best ever seasons will long remember the win by Ladretto which won the Cleveland Bay as a Class 6 horse.
It was his seventh win on end to retain an unbeaten record since coming from the south, with what can only be described as ordinary form.
Formerly trained by Jason Warren, Ladretto arrived here late last year and had his first start for Kerry and Rachel Baumann in a lowly Class B at Ingham. He won – and hasn’t been beaten since.
How incredible is that – from a Class B in November to the Cleveland Bay, the richest sprint in North Queensland in seven months?
He earned his right of entry into the Cleveland Bay by winning a weight-for-age sprint last month as a Class 5 horse.
Hitherto unheard of!
But it was that win that made Kliese seriously believe the rising star was a genuine contender with only 54kg in the Cleveland Bay.
IT TOOK A BIG EFFORT BY GRAHAM KLIESE TO MAKE THE WEIGHT ON LADRETTO
THAT created a problem – at least for the jockey – who vowed and declared he would never waste to ride the minimum again after failing on Alotta Spur in Mackay last year when favorite.
But adhering to a strict diet regime and the help and dedication of his wife Belinda, Kliese got down to the lightest he has been in many years – in fact he could have ridden at 53.5kg on Saturday had he been required.
Ladretto was the jockey’s second win in the Cleveland Bay. He won it 19 years ago for Kelly Schweida on Easy Dancer.
There has been much water under the bridge in the intervening years, but Kliese has always been considered among the top rung of jockeys in his adopted region. One of his regrets in a highly successful career is not having kept accurate record.
He doesn’t know how many wines he has ridden “But its somewhere around 1500, maybe 1600,” he says in his easy going style.
And the quote of the day belonged to trainer Kerry Baumann who asked Kliese after the Cleveland Bay: “That makes him ineligible for the Class 6 at Cairns on Cup day, doesn’t’ it?
So he will just have to run in the Newmarket, instead.
POPULAR WIN ON THE UNDERCARD BY THE PROMISING HOTEL PARADISO
THE big crowd at Cluden made plenty of noise on Saturday and it wasn’t just the tinkling of glasses from the 2,500 bottles of champagne consumed – nor the 30,000 cans of beer and 10,000 cans of rum.
The biggest noise of the carnival emanated from the grandstand when local hero Hotel Paradiso surged away from his rivals in the opener.
In spite of an amazing betting drift on the off course totes (he shortened up on track) Hotel Paradiso earned a possible trip to the city with his decisive win. And no doubt his cheers squad of enthusiastic owners will follow.
Hotel Paradiso was bred by club chairman Kevin O’Keefe, who was also a senior partner in his ill-fated sire Hotel Grand which was a tragic loss to the breeding industry when he died suddenly last year.
Hotel Paradiso is an exciting horse providing a lot of joy for his syndicate of owners who race him on lease from the chairman.
It is a syndicate that includes dedicated TTC staff, the clubs’ liquor licensing consultant, members of the Queensland Police Force, bookies Anne Bode and Lloyd Mitchell and Channel 7 fishing guru Scott Hillier.
And those who have witnessed any of the youngster’s four wins at Cluden, Rockhampton and Mackay this year will tell you – they make a bloody lot of noise!
And of course, they are allowed to.
VISITING FILLY LEFT AT THE POST IN THE FASHION STAKES ON CUP DAY
BOOKIES don’t bet on the outcome of fashions-on-the-field on glamour race days.
But the contestants take their task very seriously, it seems.
After the first cull of Saturday’s Cup day entrants there were five dolled-up fillies in the final cut – and one in particular stood out.
She had the form too, being the winner of several such contests down south and often called upon to judge such events.
But while she looked the favourite, she actually had no hope of walking away with the prize of Townsville Lady of the Day that included an Audi or more accurately 12 months lease of an Audi.
The winner had to be a resident of Queensland. So in racing parlance she was left hopelessly at the start.
Worse still she wasn’t told or made aware of the conditions, otherwise: “I would have entered for the Fashionable Filly award,” said the highly disappointed visitor.
COLUMN COURTESY OF TERRY BUTTS AND THE NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, one of Australia's leading rural newspapers.
TERRY BUTTS can be contacted by e-mailing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
