RQ announces winter Thoroughbred program

Having implemented a raft of strict biosecurity measures, including five designated racing regions across the state, RQ will provide limited black-type racing over a six-week period throughout May and June.

The existing restrictions limiting jockeys, trainers and other licensed personnel to their designated racing zones will remain in place, however RQ will now allow conditional horse movement between zones and inter-state for the purposes of racing.

With patron-free race meetings being conducted across the state, RQ chairman Steve Wilson said the selected features had been developed after industry consultation with clubs, trainers, breeders and owners and would include QTIS bonuses for eligible Queensland horses.

"The Queensland racing industry has done a phenomenal job banding together during this period. The establishment of designated racing regions, and the strict biosecurity measures that we have adopted, has required large-scale changes to our day-to-day operations. This is reflective of the Queensland community more broadly and is necessary to ensure the continuation of racing during this unprecedented crisis.

"These are tough times and we must make a collective sacrifice. By programming selected features, we are able to provide enhanced opportunities for our Queensland participants. We all know any prize money cuts hurt - these are the salaries and wages that sustain our industry - but we are committed to providing our participants with hope as they navigate the social, economic and health challenges during this turbulent period. We are also able to use the coming months to pay homage to a number of Queensland racing greats including Ken Russell, Wayne Wilson, Pam O'Neill, Mick Dittman and JJ Atkins," Mr Wilson said.

Having committed to a review of the transferal of racing animals between zones after 14 days, RQ will soon allow horses including those from alternate racing zones and inter-state to do so via commercial transport providers. Horses transferring between existing Queensland zones will be required to do so by 12pm on the day before their race, while inter-state horses must have completed their journey before acceptance time of their nominated race.

The Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap headlines the Metro North feature races and will be held at Eagle Farm on June 6 alongside the Group 1 JJ Atkins, while the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes and The Roses will be staged the following week. In the Metro South West region, Aquis Park will host the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas and Ken Russell Memorial on May 16, along with the Listed Silk Stocking.

RACING Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell said while a winter carnival could not proceed, selected feature racing would continue in the Sunshine State on a limited basis.

"It's important to recognise that this is not business as usual. The absence of the Doomben 10,000, the Derby and the Oaks is evidence of this point, along with feature prize money levels being reduced by more than 75 per cent and black-type racing almost halved.

"At the same time, RQ will program additional showcase races and meetings for the Central and Northern regions to provide increased opportunities to those parts of the state. It is imperative that we all play our role in adhering to the strict biosecurity measures so that racing can continue in Queensland and can support our 40,000 participants," Mr Parnell said.

Brisbane Racing Club chairman Neville Bell OAM said the decision would ensure that feature racing would continue in Brisbane in the same way it was held during World War I, the Spanish Influenza outbreak and World War II. This is welcome news for Queensland's racing industry because two weeks ago, like every sport, we were facing the prospect of not being able to hold our feature races," Mr Bell said.

WITH International Women's Day celebrated on Friday, March 8, last year the Emerald Jockey Club named all its races the next day, Saturday, March 9 after women who have had an influence in horse racing around Australia.

The club also posted on its Facebook page descriptions of each woman honoured. They were: Bill (Wilhemena) Smith (jockey); Gai Waterhouse (trainer); Pam O'Neill (jockey); Victoria Shaw (race caller); and Michelle Payne (jockey).

Now the Emerald Jockey Club can name next year's International Women's Day races after female jockeys and trainers who dominated the entire nine-race card at Emerald on Easter Saturday, April 7. Three female jockeys rode the nine winners while sisters-in-law Glenda Bell and Jenny Bell trained six of the nine winners. Seven female jockeys rode at the meeting and all either won or placed in each of the nine races. The winning jockeys were:

On the Bit website reports Smith is the first apprentice at Pioneer Park to ride six winners on the same program. The 22-year-old began riding in March 2017, and this season alone has ridden 56 winners and accumulated close to $700,000 in prize money for winning connections.

Five of Smith's winners (Summer Lea, Fiderius, Addicted, Burden and Mono Lad) were trained locally by Glenda Bell while Bell's Clermont-based sister-in-law Jenny Bell trained Drumshow. Admitting to be 60 years old, Glenda Bell rode from age 15 to 52 before calling it quits. For several years she held a dual jockey/trainer licence and worked as a driller at a nearby mine. With 16 horses in work, Bell still rides trackwork and was delighted to record her first five-win haul in her 20-year training career.

TWO-year-old fillies Away Game and Miss Lot Won are now 'Classic' winners courtesy of winning their respective yearling sale incentive races - the Magic Millions 2YO Classic held at the Gold Coast in January and the Capricornia Classic 2YO Plate at Rockhampton held last Tuesday, April 7.

Away Game won the lucrative Magic Millions 2YO Classic by 1.6 lengths while Miss Lot Won dominated with a 4 lengths margin ahead of her 11 rivals in the Capricornia Classic.

Their prize money earnings are 'chocolates and boiled lollies' with Away Game's tally now past the $2.7 million mark while Miss Lot Won has $154,000. Yet back in December only 4.6 lengths separated the two in the Listed Callaway Gal Stakes for 2YO fillies at Doomben with Away Game the winner and Miss Lot Won third.

A $425,000 Magic Millions yearling purchase, Away Game then progressed to win the Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast and the Group 2 Widden Stakes at Randwick at her next two starts. She then further endorsed her ability by running fourth in the Group 1 Blue Diamond at Caulfield, then runner-up in the world's richest 2YO race - the Group 1 Golden Slipper - followed by a win in the Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes for 2YO fillies at Randwick last Saturday, April 11.

In comparison, Miss Lot Won was the first lot catalogued at last year's Capricornia yearling sale - hence the name - and sold for $17,000 to Rockhampton trainer Tom Button who put together a syndicate of racing enthusiasts owners with Darling Downs breeder/vendor Neville Stewart, Oaklands Stud, retaining a share. She now has two wins and three places from eight starts earning $154,200 including $43,250 in QTIS bonuses.

Button had previously supplied three placegetters (The Bank Manager, Rubie Georgie and Gypsy Toff) in Rockhampton's richest juvenile race. Having won the past five Rockhampton trainers' premierships, Button now runs a satellite stable in Rockhampton after relocating to Caloundra six months ago. However, he has decided to base himself at Rockhampton, where he has nine horses in work, for the duration of the coronavirus crisis.

THE Capricornia 2YO Classic result was also another magnificent achievement by Stewart's Oaklands Stud with Miss Lot Won becoming the stud's third success in the race from the past four years plus producing four of the first five past the post in the Classic.

In addition, Rockhampton racing writer Tony McMahon reports Oaklands produced Button's previous three CYS 2YO Classic placegetters while the stud's 2018 winner in Wicked Ways won in Hong Kong last week.

Button was keen to buy Miss Lot Won having bought her half-sister Gypsy Toff (Toorak Toff) for $25,000 at the 2017 Capricornia sale. The 4YO mare is now only $300 short of $300,000 prize money with 11 wins and five placings from 24 starts with her last three wins coming in succession last month at the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Doomben.

A daughter of Oaklands-based sire Siderius - a Group 2 winning son of General Nediym and now sire of more than 801 winners plus progeny earnings of more $3.7 million - Miss Lot Won and Gypsy Toff are among the six winners produced from the Royal Academy (USA) mare Aadelaidee. A three times winner and stakes placed, Aadelaidee has further black type in her pedigree with her grandam being a half-sister to Group1 Stradbroke winner Rouslan.

ROCKHAMPTON 4YO gelding Marway had to concede his nine rivals 6.5kg (a stone) when carrying 61.5kg to win the Capricornia Yearling Sale Championship QTIS 3 and 4YO Handicap (1300m) for the second year in succession at Rockhampton on April 7.

However the huge weight impost meant he was unable to break his own track record which he set winning last year's race 12 months ago carrying 54kg. Back then he stopped the clock at 1:15.08, breaking the 'Rockhampton Rocket' Our Boy Malachi's track record of 1:15.17. This year's time was 1:16.07 - almost a second outside his record.

Ironically Our Boy Malachi's Rockhampton trainer John O'Sing also trains Marway but has stopped short of making comparisons with his champion who went on to win at Group 2 level in a decorated career that saw him win 19 of his 27 starts and $946,000 in prize money.

Passed in for $14,000 at the 2017 Capricornia Yearling Sale in Rockhampton, Marway now has eight wins and seven placings from 21 career starts and more than $208,000 in earnings including $55,700 in QTIS bonuses.

Marway's owners, Greg and Elaine Sturgiss and Paul and Barbara Wagner, would have been pleased they knocked back an offer in late 2018 from Hong Kong for the gelding. Bred by the Sturgiss family, the victory was made more special for the Wagners as Marway is by their resident stallion Hemingway (Ire) from the winning Marechal mare Maredamah. An English Listed winning son of triple Group 1 winner Spectrum, Hemingway now has 120 winners and progeny earnings of more than $6 million while his half-brother Ithiram (Ire) is the sire of the outstanding sprinting mare Miss Andretti who won five Group 1 races in Australia plus the Group 2 King's Stand Stakes (now Group 1) at Royal Ascot in England.