THANGOOL'S Damien Rideout and Brian Laherty, of Nanango, have booked passage to Eagle Farm in Brisbane on June 22 for the $125,000 Battle of the Bush.
These country trainers won the right through the respective home track successes of Mia Host and Macho Picchu on May 25.
Mia Host (Host-Four Seasons) scooted over the Thangool 1200 metres course in a super slick 1min 8.88 seconds to win by two lengths.
Ridden by Rockhampton apprentice Elyce Smith, Mia Host beat her year older sibling All Host (Host-Four Seasons) over the line while Still The Same (Nadeem-On Eight Hundred) was third, another four lengths further back.
The win surprised most punters, who let Mia Host drift out to $11 by post time.
On the other hand Machu Picchu (Krupt-Manu Peru) was solidly supported before taking the Nanango qualifier from runner-up Tycoon Zip (WrittenTycoon-Train Of Love), which was only a half length away at the end.
Go Get Sum (Exceedingly Good-Helpful Hints) did best of the chasing division but was still five and a quarter lengths adrift.
Machu Picchu is racing in rare form for Laherty and has given himself a chance of a winning hat trick courtesy of a Warwick triumph on May 11 before scoring last weekend.
Miles-based trainer Bevan Johnson added another qualifier to a growing list when Fab's Cowboy (Greenwood Lake-Real Live Woman) made a one-act affair of the Cunnamulla rendition.
With young rider Minonette Kennedy in the saddle, Fab's Cowboy strolled home by two lengths over Bush Caviar (Tycoon Ruler-Precious Verse) and Music Scene (Kaphero-Smytzer's Magic).
Victory did his Bush series claims no harm, but it did not advance Fab's Cowboy's cause either as the seven-year-old had previously earned a place following a qualifying win at Gladatone last month.
Ilfracombe trainer Henry Forster could be the lucky loser from the Cunnamulla event with Bush Caviar now in the running for a starting place at headquarters.
Additional qualifying races will be run on June 1 at Bowen, Cloncurry and Mareeba and a week later at Barcaldine.
Alan Welburn
Lover of sport, particularly horse racing and all things Olympic. Have spent my entire working life in journalism, mostly with News Corp on its major metro mastheads. Done plenty of things but the best by far is having a teenage son who calls me dad.
Lover of sport, particularly horse racing and all things Olympic. Have spent my entire working life in journalism, mostly with News Corp on its major metro mastheads. Done plenty of things but the best by far is having a teenage son who calls me dad.
