IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published by the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS reports on the misfortune that forced the postponement of the opening day of the new Cairns track at Canon Park.
Butts also looks forward to the Home Hill Cup day this weekend and reveals a new star formerly from Victoria that has emerged on the Rockhampton racing scene.
Here is his column:
ABANDONMENT OF OPENING DAY AT NEW CAIRNS TRACK SOMEWHAT EMBARRASSING
THE Rain Gods were not shining down on Cannon Park last Saturday when the Cairns Jockey Club was forced to abandon the highly publicized opening of the new track.
After more than l00mm fell during the week, the track was still cleared as safe on Friday afternoon. A media release by the Racing Minister Steve Dickson on Friday began with the rather unfortunate line that ‘The brand new $1.86mn upgrade would bring to an end the cancelled meetings at Cairns.’
Jockey Club CEO Graham Thornton was also quoted: ‘The weather-proofing of the Cannon Park track would be an enormous benefit’ and that ‘the upgrade would make Cairns one of the leading destinations in the State.’
And after an inspection of the track on Friday afternoon by the RQ Director of Operations, Warren Williams, it was all go – particularly with no rain on the radar...
But down she came – in buckets.
Just as Townsville apprentice Emma Ljung was boarding a plane for Cannon Park where she had a full book, the club announced the decision to cancel.
There was no alternative, really.
NOT THE MENTION THE ‘SPREADING OF UNSCREENED SAND FIASCO’
IT would have been foolhardy to have raced on the brand new surface that in the words of Member for Cairns Gavin King: ‘Faced some extraordinary challenges during construction, from extreme heat and rain to cyclone activity.’
He might have also mentioned the ‘spreading of unscreened sand fiasco’- but that’s another story.
So the stakeholders in Cairns must await another day – until June 8 actually when the new track will be showcased.
Let’s just hope it is a case of all’s well that ends well.
And to their credit Racing Queensland was quick to react to the Cairns misfortune and rescheduled two extra races for next week’s Gordonvale program.
With the upcoming Mike Carney TomCar Two-Year-Classic looming – the north’s juvenile event at Townsville – an extra QTIS Two-Year-Old Maiden (with a $5,000 bonus) has been added, plus a Class 3 set weights race over 1350m.
The two-year-old race is 1l00m, which is actually the shortest distance that races can be decided on the Gordonvale track.
FOCUS OF ATTENTION NEXT WEEKEND WILL BE THE HOME HILL CUP
WHILE Gordonvale will be the centre of attraction for the northerners, Home Hill will be focus in the Townsville district for the Burdekin Growers’ Race Day featuring of course, the Home Hill Cup.
Cluden’s leading Cup contender, Cash Attack, will spearhead the local invasion but connections warn that a start will be very much dependent on what weight he is allotted.
“We will nominate but nothing’s definite,” said trainer Laurel Cullen, wife of the horse's regular jockey Peter.
Other options for Cash Attack include the Mackay Amateur Cup (1800m) the following week as a lead-up to the Mackay Cup and of course the Townsville Cup at the end of July.
Also heading back for another crack at the Cluden Cups is the Mt Isa stayer, Just In Touch, which was a close and gallant third to Writer in last year’s Townsville Cup.
He has been campaigning in Alice Springs in recent weeks and his display of form suggests he ready for another tilt at Townsville.
MOTORISED THE NEW STAR OF RACING IN CENTRAL QUEENSLAND
DOWN in Rochampton everyone is talking about Fred Smith’s new kid on the block, Motorised, which totally demoralized his rivals in the Amateur Bracelet on Saturday.
It was the most impressive win seen at Callaghan Park in ages and good judges are already declaring him for the Newmarket to be run on June 20.
Motorised is an ex-Victorian that at one stage was hailed as a Blue Diamond prospect by his then trainer John Sadler.
But the horse didn’t quite live up to early expectations and was sold to former Darwin trainer Steven Brown who is now based at Flemington.
Brown said he ‘is a very good horse when he is right.’
And it seems the new environs at Callaghan Park have done the trick.
Motorised blitzed a smart line up of sprinters in a recent trial and on Saturday ran right up to it with an explosive win.
He was picked up for $20,000 by clients of Freddy Smith at a Melbourne sale earlier in the year. The son of Flying Spur has some highly impressive stats for this part of the world, including a second to the Blamey Stakes winner and Hawkesbury Guineas runner up, Pied a Terre.
Prior to Saturday’s Open win he was only a Class 4 horse.
FORMER MACKAY TRAINERS BOOK-END OPENING DAY OF BRISBANE CARNIVAL
TWO former Mackay based trainers book-ended the opening day of the Brisbane winter carnival on Saturday.
Daryl Hansen won the first with Vo Heart and Stuart Kendrick’s bonny little filly Doubtfilly won the last.
It was a most notable achievement for the two relatively young trainers who have now silenced any who doubted their ability to survive in the big smoke.
It was a big gamble for them to leave the comfort and stability of Ooralea where both were well and truly established. But they chose to have a go and Saturday’s result was a just reward for their daring and devotion.
THE BIG COUNTRY RACE DIARY LOOKING FROM MAY TO JULY
Saturday May 18: Home Hill (Burdekin Cup day), Gordonvale, Rockhampton, Charleville and Barcaldine (Country Series)
Tuesday May 21- Townsville
Thursday May 23- Rockhampton
Saturday May 25- Mackay Amateurs (TAB),Atherton ,Aramac, Mt Isa
Tuesday May 28- Townsville
Thursday May 30- Rockhampton.
Future reminders: Carney Great Northern (formerly Parry Nissan) July 18; North Queensland Cup (Cluden) June 20; Rockhampton Newmarket June 22; RockhamptonCup & McKinlayCup June29.
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.
