NINE-YEAR-OLD gelding Tullgarie Prince, better known around the traps as Frank, has won the North Queensland Barrel Racing Club Futurity.
Staged in Townsville late in June, the Futurity attracted seven entrants and created an opportunity for one-time gallopers to extend their career beyond the racetrack.
Tullagrie Prince captured the Futurity in a slippery time of 19.46 seconds with junior owner Demi Kelly in the saddle.
They took honours over the year older Athabasca, once trained by Mackay-based Olivia Cairns before his retirement from racing with track earnings of more then $40,000.
Now owned by Stephanie Thomson, Athabasca stopped the clock at 20.490 secs, which happened to be quick enough to give them victory in the open divisional barrel race.
Shark N Beauty, a youngster at seven and a winner on the track of more than $30,000 for the Gareth Horner stable in Atherton, finished third in the Futurity for new owner Rachel Shred in 21.020 secs.
The Des Viero owned-Fraidso, a nine-year-old mare good enough to win a bit more than $50,000 on the track, came in with a time of 21.470 and was just out of the Futurity placings.
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.
