IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published by the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS reports on the fulfillment of a long-time ambition by one of the country’s top jockeys in Robert Thompson when he won the Cairns Amateur Cup last Saturday.
Butts also tells of the long journey taken by Cup winner Seafight and how a former top two-year-old cheated retirement to return a winner at the Cairns Amateurs.
His column also includes an item on the Birdsville Cup meeting and the riding success of soon-to-be-married Danny Ballard.
THOMPSON FULFILS LONG TIME AMBITION WITH WIN IN CAIRNS AMATEUR CUP
ROBERT Thompson, the evergreen hoop from the coalfields of NSW, has ended a long time ambition to win the Cairns Amateur Cup.
Until Saturday it was one of the very few races that remain on the jockey’s bucket list after a career that has few parallels in Australian racing.
And it is fitting too, that he won the cup on Seafight – owned by first lady of racing in the far north, the effervescent Kem Watkins.
Not only is Kem a long-time stalwart of racing in the north, but she also was the much favoured niece of Sid Williams, the man recognized as the father or founder of Queensland’s most iconic country racing carnival.
And Seafight is trained by Janel Ryan who over the years has shared as phenomenally successful association with the veteran rider. And she too has had a long and successful association with the owner.
Robert Thompson has been a regular to Cairns for several years now and while he is usually crowned the leading jockey of the carnival, he had never won the Cup. He had been close several times but until Saturday victory had eluded him.
But it wasn’t unexpected. He confided, after riding the horse in the Cairns Cup last month that he was ‘quietly confident’ of success this year.
And, obviously he is still a master judge. He adopted different riding tactics on Saturday and after sprinting to the front in the straight held off the challengers of the more fancied Payteevee and the much-improved roughie Beebeesduel.
SEAFIGHT HAS SEEN PLENTY OF THE COUNTRY ON HIS WAY TO CUP WIN
CUP winner SEAFIGHT, like his jockey, has seen a bit of the country.
He commenced his racing in NSW and it is interesting to note he finished 7th beaten 10 lengths when ridden by Thompson in a 1350m Maiden at Cessnock in October 2008, just five years ago.
From that humble beginning he ended up in the yard of Greg Wehlow on the Atherton Tablelands who at the time had a few in work for Kem Watkins. The horse had moderate success in his new surrounds and was then sent south to Greg’s son Jared who had just taken out a license and was setting up stables at Rockhampton.
Seafight won a 1960m race leading up to the Townsville Cup last year and was considered unlucky when beaten only three lengths in the Cup won by Writer a week later.
Saturday’s win, however, was his first since joining the Ryan stable last year – but a win no doubt that was worth waiting for.
STEEL DRAGON CHEATED RETIREMENT WITH RETURN TO FORM AT CAIRNS
SATURDAY also broke the drought for the former top sprinter and unbeaten two-year-old of his era, Steel Dragon, which only a week previously had been ‘banished to the paddock’.
The decision to retire was made after he finished unplaced behind veteran Mighty Mite at Ingham. But his trainer Ray Long decided the run was just too bad to be true so he persevered and sent the horse to Cairns.
It was major change of fortune, not only for the horse and connections but also for trainer Long who is one of the most respected and longest serving trainers in Townsville.
He was forced to give up training after one of his horses, Burt, knocked him over in the tie-up stalls one morning at the track. He was badly shaken and suffered several fractures to his ribs.
Poor old Ray was in an ordinary state when whisked away by ambulance that morning and it has been as long and painful rehab.
But he hitched the float again about six weeks ago and was offered Steel Dragon – the horse he had nurtured and trained as a two-year-old – but lost when connections decided to race in Brisbane.
Steel Dragon joined the Gillian Heinrich stable on the Gold Coast and acquitted himself well winning a race with Stathi Katsidis up at Doomben in May 2000 and running a host of minor placings in good company.
Last year he came back from Brisbane and joined the Olivia Cairns stable. He won two races and then lost all form, including an unplaced effort at Oak Park in July.
It was a welcome win on Saturday but more importantly a great tonic for his former trainer. It has certainly put a spring back in his step, as one track regular observed on Monday.
DANNY BALLARD NEARLY UNSTOPPABLE AT BIRDSVILLE BUT MISSED THE CUP
WHILE Robert Thompson was the toast of Cairns, the red terror Danny Ballard was just as unstoppable out at Birdsville where he bagged three winners.
Unfortunately for him the Birdsville Cup wasn’t one of them, but a trio of wins in the minor races was ample compensation. Actually he didn’t miss by far in the Cup either. His mount Abdicated finished third to the Todd Austin-trained Primed.
And Dan’s winners, Marina Sands, Bullrama and Helluva Fella are all trained by his mum Denise, so there was plenty of celebration in the Ballard camp on the banks of the Diamantina before they loaded up and headed off into the dust at daybreak Sunday.
Next stop for Dan will he the altar. He marries Mt Garnet lass Lacey Atkinson on September 22 in what is expected to be Mt Isa’s wedding of the year.
It’s the same day as the Winton Festival race meeting from which he will be a scratching.
But says he will be back, no doubt refreshed for Mt Isa’s Spring Cup later in the month.
Good on him. He’s not only a gun rider on the country circuit but a top bloke as well.
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.
