EAGLE FARM REVIEW - 23 07 08

EAGLE FARM 23 07 08

Race-meetings will always mean different things to different people. Such is the nature of the beast.

For jockey Jim Byrne, the midweek meeting at Eagle Farm yesterday presented an opportunity to increase his lead over rival Glen Colless in the Metropolitan Premiership – and he did just that when scoring with a finely measured ride on Davion in the sixth race.

For owner Patrick Wong, the win of Tie Hand in a humble Maiden Plate provided a moment that can never be repeated – the ecstatic elation of cheering home his first winner as a racehorse owner.

For owners Les and Noeline Lowrie, it was a day when a plan came together as the success of La Marianne made their long trip from Rotarua to see the mare in action so worthwhile.

For jockey Paul Hammersley, the bonus was putting extra money into the budget for an upcoming holiday.

For jockey Brad Pengelly, who took the day’s riding honours with a double, it was all about another successful day at the office. For injured apprentice jockey Mitchell Speers, it was about enjoying the action from a distance while he recuperates from a broken leg. For jockey Shane Scriven, there was heart-warming moment when he took a break to get a hug from his biggest fan.

All of the day’s winners backed themselves to some extent with a positive mindset – unlike the punter who arrived and replied to an attendant’s friendly greeting of ‘another day’ with the response ‘another day, another disaster’.

His prediction must have been a self-filling prophecy as he was not seen again after the third race.

But do not despair for him. In the grand tradition of racing, he will, in all likelihood, be the first punter through the gates at the next meeting.

Like I said, race-meetings mean different things to different people.


BREATHING SPACE FOR BYRNE:

The win of Davion stretched Jim Byrne’s lead in the Jockeys Premiership.

Now two ahead of Glen Colless, who is currently away on holiday, Byrne acknowledges he now has ‘some breathing space’, but, such is his respect for his rival who will only return for the last meeting of the season (next Wednesday), Byrne stops well short of claiming victory.

Byrne, who missed the previous two meetings due to injury, takes up the story.

“I guess with Glen away there was a tendency to rest of my laurels. Then at the Sunshine Coast I was on an unraced two-year-old (Heartson) who whipped around and tore my stomach muscles and suddenly I was on the sidelines as well.

“So yeah, it is good to get two in front. I guess it does give me some breathing space ... but take nothing away from Glen.

"He rides heavier than I do and his stable has been giving away horses in recent months (Alan Bailey is downsizing) so I have had a lot more chances than him.

“Glen is a great rider and I know I’ll have to keep at it until the very end.

It would be nice to win though. I have won (the Premiership) twice before, but I’ve also finished second plenty of times so a third win would be most satisfying.”

Byrne could put the issue beyond doubt on Saturday when he has seven rides on the Doomben card.


JOY FOR FIRST-TIME WINNER:

Patrick Wong enjoyed his first success as a racehorse owner when the James Glare trained Tie Hand shed his Maiden ticket at his fourth start.

With sounds of encouragement echoing in the grandstand one would have been forgiven for thinking that Wong and his fellow owners had called Tie Hand home over the final 200m, but Wong admitted afterwards he had been watching the wrong horse and it was only in the last few strides he spotted that number 14 was in front.

Then came the release of estactic emotion, the never to be repeated joy of celebrating a first win as an owner.

“I was watching the wrong horse,” said Wong. “The horse on our inside also had lime colours and it was only when I saw the number right at the end that I realised we’d won.

“This is my first winner but not my first horse. I raced horses in Sydney for about 18 months with no return. My brother is friends with the trainer’s son and so we came up to one of the Magic Millions sales and bought two horses.

“My trainer (James Glare) only has three horses in training. I have two of them and he also has a ten-year-old who has been winning in the bush – and now we both have a city win which is tremendous.”

Wong, who is based in Sydney, will be staying on in Queensland for the next couple of days to watch his other runner, Bennike, who will be in action at Doomben on Saturday.

Bennike, who will be ridden by Brad Pengelly, has drawn pole position in the first race on Saturday’s card.


OWNERS’ FAITH VINDICATED:

It is a long way from Rotarua to Eagle Farm, but Les and Noeline Lowrie made the trip believing they could go home having owned and bred a winner at the city track.

Their faith in that outcome rested on the ability of the four-year-old mare La Marianne and their judgement was vindicated when La Mariannne scored her Maiden win in only her fourth start, perhaps significantly when stepped up to 1600m for the first time.

“Les and I started racing by having a horse in partnership with Dennis Schollum,” explained Noeline Lowrie.

“We then also raced D’Accord (the dam of La Mariainne) who won three times. So it is such a pleasure to have bred the winner as well.

“We have seen La Mariannne race before – just once. That was early in her career but then the flu sidelined everything but it’s nice to know we are now back on track,” concluded Lowrie.


HAMMERSLEY’S HOLIDAY BONUS:

When jockey Paul Hammersley got Black Morgan to dive late and snare Overanxious on the line in a Class 3 Handicap, it was a finely timed ride for more than one reason.

Apart from satisfying the connections and followers of the horse, the victory put some extra money in Hammersley’s holiday budget.

Hammersley leaves for a break on Monday, trading the glitter of the Gold Coast for the bright lights of Las Vegas where he will stay for a week before moving on to a relaxing time in Mexico.

Talking of jockeys off track, it was good to see apprentice Mitchell Speers at Eagle Farm yesterday.

It is just short of six weeks since the young hoop had the misfortune to break a leg in a fall at the Sunshine Coast and the manner in which he was getting around at the track suggests all things are going well with his recovery.

Speers was on crutches but seemed to be carrying them more often than resting on them and he appeared to enjoy fair freedom of movement with his injured leg.

That, and Speers’ happy demeanour, are both positive signs for the youngster who will report back to his doctor again on Monday before undergoing a course of physiotherapy treatment designed to further hasten his return to race riding.


THE LAST WORD:

Sadly, it is often all too easy to pick on dark side of an individual player’s makeup and run with the story to the detriment of both that person and the sport of horseracing.

Seldom do we ask the good role-models to take a bow.

Well, in case you haven’t noticed, there is a good role-model on display almost every race-day in South-East Queensland.

While parenting might not be the first thing that comes to mind when talking about behaviour at a racetrack, the fact that an obviously enamoured Shane Scriven always finds time to acknowledge the presence of his young daughter Halle, his biggest supporter, either from the saddle or more usually during down time when not engaged in a particular race, is a most impressive feature of the makeup of this senior jockey.

Good on ya Shane!

TIME FOR THE DUST TO SETTLE AND THE VOTE TO COUNT

The BTC Board, for the first time, has come out as being unanimous in promoting an amalgamation proposal which would see the club merge with the QTC to form a new racing entity in Metropolitan Brisbane.

A resolution to this matter would bring an end to a long, sometimes malicious and often ugly battle between various factions who have offered vastly different views on how the future of racing in Brisbane should unfold.

A previous vote on the amalgamation proposal was rejected by BTC members. The new vote, scheduled for August 8, sees a return to the battleground for what has got to be a final showdown if Queensland Racing is to maintain any dignity in the profile it holds within the context of the greater Australian racing community.

There is arguably an overwhelming view of what would be the right outcome for the long-term future of racing in Brisbane. But there have been, and will continue to be, counter arguments.

This debate, both in content and in tone, has long since reached the stage where it has become counter-productive.

Quite simply, it has done its time and is now not doing anybody any favours. People with entrenched views are not about to change their minds. It is time to call a result.

The bottom line is that there is a process in place to decide the matter. When that process is finalised on August 8, the result should stand – irrespective of which way the decision goes.

That result should be accepted by all parties, from the controlling body of Queensland Racing to each race-club member, so that all racing enthusiasts can at last combine their energies and become a positive force for the common cause of benefitting racing in Queensland.