I can’t remember a worse Mount Isa Cup field, but at least there was a good-news element to the winner. Bargain buy Zouhope saluted in a thrilling finish for Richmond trainer Shryn Royes and fly-in jockey Chris Meehan.
Purchased for just $500, Zouhope has been a great earner for Royes since arriving in her stable at the beginning of last year. This was his fifth win, to go with a heap of placings. He’s been well-travelled, too. This year alone, he’s ventured thousands of kilometres across North and North West Queensland for meetings.
It was a big weekend for Shryn, who had runners at Townsville on Saturday and then saw her son Caden Russo win a boxing title in Ingham that night.
On Monday, her partner Justin Esser, a former bush jockey, celebrated his 50th birthday.
