QRIC amnesty on horse retirement extended

There have been 411 Thoroughbred and 308 Standardbred retirements processed since the amnesty began on November 1. The commission is extending the period to encourage all those with a race horse that has not been properly retired to come forward now, before November 29.

Racing Integrity Commissioner Ross Barnett said retirement applications had streamed in since the amnesty began. "This tells us that there is a substantial number of horses that have not been properly retired in Queensland, so we will extend the amnesty period past the original closing date of November 15 to make sure we give a many owners and trainers the chance to update their retirement data without penalty," he said.

Judge Terry Martin, who is heading the inquiry into the treatment of retired racehorses and animal welfare concerns in dealing with retired racehorses at Queensland abattoirs, has requested registration and retirement data.

To meet this request and to provide the inquiry with the most useful data to investigate the welfare and treatment of race horses in Queensland the commission is allowing late retirement notifications.

All Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorse owners and trainers must comply with their obligations under the Rules of Racing to retire their animals and most do, but for those who have not, this is a further opportunity to fully comply.

Thoroughbreds:

Standardbreds:

For more information contact QRIC on 1300 087 021 or email licensing@qric.qld.gov.au

ONE of Queensland's most popular horses, Outback Barbie, created a slice of history last week after pocketing the first $20,000 QTISx bonus for her connections with victory at Doomben.

Earlier this year, Racing Queensland announced the introduction of QTISx, which provides bonuses on black-type and feature races conducted for QTIS registered horses.

With the first QTISx bonus going on the line during the Listed Keith Noud Quality at Doomben, Outback Barbie produced another superb first-up performance to score a one length victory. Pleasingly, the next four horses home were also eligible for the QTISx bonus.

In line with the QTISx conditions, Outback Barbie's central Queensland owners, Alan and Jennifer Acton, were able to nominate whether they wanted a $10,000 cash bonus or to 'double up' their winnings through the redemption of a $20,000 sales voucher to use at one of four prescribed Queensland sales on a QTIS registered yearling.

The Actons opted for the sales voucher, with Outback Barbie swelling her career earnings to almost $750,000. In addition to the Actons, a $5000 breeders' bonus will be paid to Eureka Stud who bred the 4YO mare.

Across the 2019/20 racing season, more than 100 black-type and feature races will carry QTISx bonuses with the next opportunities to be staged at the Tattersall's Classic and Recognition Stakes at Doomben this coming Saturday.

RQ CEO Brendan Parnell said he was pleased to see the first QTISx bonus paid out. "It was even more pleasing to see the Actons opt for the Queensland sales voucher. Both Alan and Jennifer are terrific supporters of the Queensland racing industry. They have enjoyed great success with Outback Barbie to date and will continue to do so throughout the Summer Carnival. The redemption of the sales voucher will ensure they have another exciting QTIS registered yearling on the horizon," he said.

QUALITY 4YO mare Outback Barbie seems to save her best for black type racing. In fact, her three wins are all Listed races at Doomben and, equally important, have been recorded at two, three and four years old.

Indeed, she was 'on fire' winning her first start, the Listed Callaway Gal Stakes for 2YO fillies at Doomben, and then ran third behind Sunlight in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic. Her next black type win was the Listed Mode Stakes for 3YO fillies in December last year and her latest win came as a 4YO mare in the Listed Keith Noud Quality (1200m) held at Doomben on November 9.

A daughter of sire sensation Spirit Of Boom from the General Nediym mare Pure Purrfection whose five wins included the Listed Bribie Handicap at Eagle Farm. Outback Barbie was sold by Eureka Stud at the 2017 Magic Millions for $210,000 to Central Queensland graziers Alan and Jennifer Acton. She now has three wins and five placings from 16 starts for total prize money earnings of $736,850.

Outback Barbie is trained by Brisbane-based Tony Gollan who has also been entrusted with her 3YO half-sister Purroni. A daughter of Pierro - whose five Group 1 wins included the 2YO Triple Crown - and now the winner of her past two starts at Ipswich and Doomben, Purroni sold to a syndicate for $550,000 at the 2018 Gold Coast Magic Millions yearling sale.

TWO separate sets of Queenslanders were cheering when talented 3YO filly Pretty Brazen scored a bold victory in the Group 2 Sandown Guineas (1600m) in Melbourne on Saturday.

The first filly in 14 years to win the race, Pretty Brazen - trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy - was offered at the 2018 Inglis Easter Sale by Coolmore Stud for Gold Coast clients Denis and Claire O'Brien and bought by McEvoy Mitchell Racing for $700,000 on behalf of prominent Queensland owners Linda and Graham Huddy's Peachester Lodge. In fact, Pretty Brazen was the resultant foal when the O'Briens paid $570,000 for the stakes placed mare Pretty Penny in foal to Brazen Beau at the 2016 Magic Millions National Broodmare sale.

Racing under the Clairden Racing banner, the O'Briens have been breeding horses for more than 40 years with their best performers being Group 2 winner Bring Me Roses and Group 3 winner Face Value - both also Group 1 placed progeny they bred from the city winning Polish Patriot (USA) mare Freckled Face.

Pretty Brazen is the fifth Australian stakes-winner for Brazen Beau and one of four stakes winners for her extraordinary dam Pretty Penny (Encosta De Lago), who has also produced a further three stakes performers from seven foals to race. It's also apparent that her progeny have an affinity for Sandown - especially its feature Zipping Classic raceday. Back in 2013 her million dollar earner Sertorious won the Group 2 Zipping Classic, in 2017 Dollar For Dollar (also trained by Tony McEvoy) won the Group 3 Chandler Macleod Recruitment Handicap while Pretty Brazen won this year's Group 2 Sandown Guineas.

Pretty Penny's eighth foal - a filly by USA triple crown winner American Pharoah - is catalogued as part of the Coolmore draft at the 2020 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

FOR the second year in succession the final qualifying race in the Country Cups Challenge - the 1640m Roma Cup - has been won by Toowoomba-based galloper Atouchmore.

That gives him a perfect record of two starts on Roma's sand track for two Cup wins. However, also for the second year in succession, Atouchmore won't be starting in the Challenge series final. Runner-up Oh Why will also be missing as neither horse was nominated for the final. The third place-getter and recent Charleville Cup winner, Eschiele, is nominated and with weights out sits equal 12^th among 29 nominees.

A $6000 buy at the 2015 Magic Millions National Yearling sale and then on-sold for $12,500 to Toowoomba-based The Last Stride syndicates at the 2015 Magic Millions 2YO in training sale, 6YO gelding Atouchmore trained by Matt Kropp now has eight wins and 14 placings from 38 starts giving him an almost 60 per cent win/place ratio.

It was the third Roma Cup win for Kropp who also won the race in 2016 with Spice Of Life (G Power Of Destiny/Bay Leaf). A son of Group 1 Champagne Stakes winner Onemorenomore, Atouchmore is one of five winners produced from the winning Redoute's Choice mare Ausvall. She, in turn, is a half-sister to Australian Racehorse of the Year Typhoon Tracy - both being daughters of multiple South African Group 1 winner Tracy's Element.

Racing Minister Stirling Hinchliffe was among the 8000 crowd watching the eight-race program which attracted 90 starters.

Another feature race was the 1000m Open Handicap won by veteran Toowoomba sprinter Tisani Tomso trained by Kevin Kemp. A 9YO gelding by Nothing To Lose (USA) from the Scenic mare Clear Run, Tisani Tomso now has 15 wins and 31 placings from 83 starts which takes his prizemoney just over $10,000 away from the $500,000 mark. It was the second time Tisani Tomso has won the Roma sprint having also won the race in 2016.