The Greatest Emerald win

Longreach Jockey Club president, race-caller and newsagent Rob Luck is literally ‘one-eyed’ due to recent retina surgery and now is the proud co-owner of Emerald 100 winner ‘The Greatest’.

The 1850m Emerald 100 has been a feature race at Emerald for many years. This year’s renewal held last Saturday had the added attraction of being a qualifying race for Racing Queensland’s new Country Cups Challenge. Despite rain interruptions, Emerald Jockey Club president Leon Roberts reported about 3000 patrons attended the meeting.

Now a 5YO gelding, The Greatest was bred and formerly raced by prominent owner/breeder John Singleton. Naming a horse ‘The Greatest’ is like adding an extra 10kg in the saddle cloth! But Singleton had high expectations as the colt was by champion international sire Street Cry (Ire) from triple Group1 winning mare Samantha Miss. A daughter of Redoute’s Choice, Samantha Miss cost $1.5 million as a yearling at the 2005 Inglis Easter yearling sale, won more than $1.75 million prizemoney and then sold for $3.85 million at the 2009 Inglis Easter broodmare sale.

Now dam of six foals, her most prominent offspring has been 3YO filly Miss Fabulass who recently won the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes at Randwick. Miss Fabulass was conceived through a southern hemisphere time mating to northern hemisphere based World Champion racehorse Frankel and in fact Samantha Miss was sent to England again in August this year for a second covering to Frankel.    

Although catalogued for the 2015 Inglis Easter yearling sale, her third foal was subsequently withdrawn from sale and kept to race. However, that didn’t happen for another 2.5 years when he had his first barrier trial at Rosehill in December 2017 for trainer Bjorn Baker. With Street Cry siring ‘wonder mares’ Winx and Zenyatta and sons such as Melbourne Cup winner Shocking and Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, it was a ‘brave call’ to name the horse The Greatest however Singleton at least had the satisfaction of his horse winning on debut in a Nowra maiden in January 2018. Baker only had the horse for two more starts which included a second at Goulburn before the decision was taken to move him on.

Luck was with Mackay trainer John Manzelmann in more ways than one! A noted trainer of ‘tried’ horses, Manzelmann has numerous interstate racing contacts and it was through one such contact that he was given the opportunity to buy The Greatest. Manzelmann then rang long-term client Rob Luck and offered him a half-share in the horse. Since arriving at Manzelmann’s stables The Greatest has started 11 times for three wins at Emerald, Rockhampton and Mackay plus two placings.

Unfortunately for Luck, recent eye surgery has prevented him attending any of The Greatest wins but admits the winning margins keep getting bigger after watching countless race  replays! Winning the Emerald 100 has been on Luck’s ‘bucket list’ for some time and he now has the added anticipation associated with The Greatest qualified for Racing Queensland’s new Country Cups Challenge.

RACING Queensland’s new Country Cups Challenge has reached almost half-way with seven of the 16 qualifying races now completed.

The series began with the Longreach Cup on September 22 and finishes with the Roma Cup on November 17. The 16 qualified horses then race in the 1600m final at Doomben in Brisbane on Saturday, December 1.

Winners so far are:

QUEENSLAND racing industry strikes on Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup days this year have been averted in its quest for increased revenue provided by a new betting tax.

But the threat remains as the industry warns it still wants a resolution to its dispute with the Palaszczuk Labor Government over the new betting tax.

An alliance of various racing bodies involving jockeys, trainers, owners and breeders is calling for a part of the government's new Point of Consumption tax to be given to the racing industry.

Following a two-hour meeting with the government on Tuesday, October 9  the industry group announced on Friday, October 12, it had put strike plans on hold. "We feel this provides the best atmosphere to obtain the most beneficial result to our financially challenged racing industry," Cameron Partington from the Australian Trainers Association Queensland. However Mr Partington clarified strike action was not off the table, and was dependant entirely on the new deal the government came up with.

Declaring the decision was in the best interests of all stakeholders, Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad said the Palaszczuk Labor Government had consistently supported the racing industry and those who rely on it. “The Government has contributed almost $190 million directly to the industry since 2015 including an unprecedented $70 million country racing package delivered in the Budget in June. At the election we made a commitment that we would ensure that big gambling companies pay their fair share of tax and we will keep this commitment. We look forward to working constructively with the industry going forward,” Ms Trad said.

Tuesday’s meeting allowed the alliance to present its case to Deputy Premier and Treasurer Jackie Trad and Racing Minister Stirling Hinchliffe plus their associated staff. Also at the meeting were Racing Queensland's chairman Steve Wilson, chief executive Brendan Parnell and Thoroughbred Board representative Mark Sowerby.

In a post-meeting media release the alliance said it had been given the opportunity to present its case, air its frustrations and concerns, and seek explanations from the government.

"We were given every opportunity to express our message, and that we did in a very robust, passionate and constructive way. Our mission was to ensure the government was fully informed on the current state of Thoroughbred racing – a situation worsening by the day over recent years as the gap to the two market leader states NSW and Victoria continues to widen at an alarming rate.

"It is a situation that can only be contained by an immediate boost of confidence to our industry in the form of increase of returns back to participants via prize money," the alliance said.

A GELDED son of Shamexpress topped the Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YOs in Training Sale on Tuesday, October 9 when selling to Thailand interests for $320,000.

Krit Chittaseni teamed up with Waterford Bloodstock to secure the top seller on what was a fruitful afternoon for NSW-based O'Gorman Racing which supplied the two top sellers. The $320,000 gelding by Shamexpress from DJ Lightning is a half-brother to three winners including Adelaide winner and stakes placegetter Coachella. The gelding showed he was a horse to follow for the future when he recorded a slick 10.11 second breeze at Warwick Farm last month. He is set to join the stable of leading Singapore trainer Michael Clements.

The second top seller at $300,000 was a Choisir colt who is the third foal of the four time winning Success Express mare Tango Express. That colt, who breezed at Warwick Farm in 10.16 seconds was purchased by Hong Kong based Victory Trading.

The top priced filly was a Fastnet Rock three-quarter sister to recent Group 2 winner Noire bought by Aquis Farm and Rothwell Park in partnership off Chevaux Bloodstock for $260,000.

Queensland's Kenmore Lodge had some strong results headlined by a Hinchinbrook Bateleur colt sold to Aquis Farm and Mick Price Racing for $260,000, while Raheen Stud, Gladfield sold a Zoustar/Elysian Hera colt for $240,000 to Manfred Man, Hong Kong.

While the clearance rate dropped slightly on last year's auction from 70 percent to 68 percent, the average price for the 122 lots sold soared more than $15,000 on last year to sit at $75,361. The median price also increased from $40,000 to $50,000.

"Obviously we are disappointed with the clearance rate," Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said. "What the market has shown today is there is a huge craving for quality. Many horses exceeded both ours and the vendor's expectations during the day. To have twice as many horses break the $200,000 barrier despite the catalogue being smaller emphasised this thirst from buyers for the stand out lots.

"The international market stood out with more than 75 percent of the offering set to head abroad. As part of this I want to congratulate our team headed by David Chester and Cassandra Simmonds for their efforts in attracting these buyers to the Gold Coast," Mr Bowditch said.