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Meeting In Review 12 August 2022
Date: 15-Aug-2022
The annual Swich On Inc. Raceday attracted a large crowd to Friday’s Ipswich Turf Club meeting. While the good times flowed off the track, racegoers were treated to a number of potential stars such as Reeanon and Uncle Russ strut their stuff on it.
Baldwin’s Race-To-Race Double
Eagle Farm trainer Barry Baldwin brought two horses to Ipswich on Friday and both left winners.
The first runner Baldwin put the saddle on was Spirit Of Beans in the Great Northern Ratings Band 0-58 Handicap. The four-year-old was having just his second start after winning on debut at Gatton last month.
Spirit Of Beans was one of the last to leave the gates which forced Les ‘Bubba’ Tilley to settle towards the back of the pack. The son of Spill The Beans was many lengths off the leaders on the turn and had a great deal of work to do in the straight. The situation didn’t look great but he showed a tremendous turn of foot to blast away and win by a length.
It was an impressive display that took Spirit Of Beans’ record to two from two.
Baldwin revealed that Spirit Of Beans may not have even had one race if not for some sage advice given to him by a legendary Toowoomba trainer many years ago.
“An old gentleman by the name of Jim Atkins was responsible for me leaving Roma back in 1981 to move to Toowoomba,” Baldwin explained.
“I asked him for some advice one day. He told me to never sack a horse unless you put blinkers on it.
“That applies to Spirit Of Beans. He was definitely going to get sacked.
“We’d all given up on him but we put the blinkers on him and he turned around.”
Baldwin’s other runner at Ipswich was Reeanon who took her place in the Kingsley Lawson Lawyers Fillies and Mares Class 2 Plate.
The four-year-old mare is in her first preparation but has already proven that she is full of class. In Friday’s 1200m assessment, jockey Mark Du Plessis was forced to work early to find the lead. Moreton Bay sat outside Reeanon throughout the race and they paired off in the straight as they dashed clear of the rest of the field. In the final 100m, Baldwin’s mare found plenty to win by half a length.
Baldwin was pleased with the win and suggested that there’s plenty more to come from the lightly raced mare who is still learning her craft.
“She’s classy, I think we’ll give her one more start this preparation before going for a spell,” Baldwin said.
“She stayed up a bit longer than we wanted but she’s done well. She’s bright and looks pretty well so we thought we’d push ahead today (Friday).
“I think she’s still green and learning to race.
“We had to start today from the wide gate and go across. I don’t think that’s the best way to ride her but she’s adapted and is learning.
“She’s a little bit of a miss but she’s quite a handy little filly.”
Baldwin believes that Reeanon has the potential to rise to black-type level.
“She could if she develops and matures a bit more,” Baldwin said.
“She’s lightly raced and just steps up a little bit every time.”
Exciting times lie ahead for the Watkins family who not only own Reeanon but bred her.
Hatch’s Talented Uncle Russ
At our Ipswich meeting on 19 March, Uncle Russ burst onto the racing scene with a massive 6.5 length win. You don’t see wins of that margin often especially when the race was only over 800m!
Since then he was beaten by the narrowest of margins at Doomben in April before running on strongly to win first-up at Toowoomba a few weeks ago.
The Lindsay Hatch-trained gelding started a hot $1.95 favourite in Friday’s TAB Colts, Geldings and Entires Class 2 Plate over 1200m. He certainly didn’t let his backers down.
Under apprentice Jake Malloy, Uncle Russ bounded out of the gates to lead. The 2kg claimer appeared to have his work cut out holding the son of Adelaide who wanted to go faster. Entering the straight, Uncle Russ kicked clear to easily account for his rivals by 1.8 lengths.
The win took Uncle Russ’ record to three wins from four starts.
Much like Reeanon, Uncle Russ is a lightly raced four-year-old with an abundance of ability. It won’t be long before Hatch brings the Toowoomba galloper to town.
Rowlett Breaks Through For Overdue Win
Locally trained Rowlett has been a frustrating proposition in recent times. The Trevor Lambourn- trained stayer was still looking for his first victory at start number 19 when he took his place in Friday’s Follow @ipswichturfclub Maiden Plate over 2170m.
To say the five-year-old gelding was overdue for a win would be an understatement. In three of his four races leading into Friday’s assignment, Rowlett had finished second on three occasions by margins of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.2 of a length.
Rowlett had been worried out of it late in those starts and that again looked a distinct possibility. However, Friday would be his day.
Jockey Michael Hellyer gave his mount the run of the race. He settled third just behind the leaders. As they approached the run home, Rowlett looked to have plenty to give. The grey found the front at the top of the straight but was quickly joined by Grinzinger Hulk and the pair settled in for a fight that would take all of the 300m to resolve.
Lambourn would have been thinking ‘not again’ when Grinzinger Hulk dived on the line but the photo was judged to go in the Ipswich trainer’s favour this time.
With his first win on the board hopefully Lambourn and connections won’t have to wait another 19 starts for his next win.
Premier Trainer Registers First Win Of The Season
Kelly Schweida claimed last season’s Ipswich Trainers premiership. On Friday he registered his first win of the new season with Kudo.
The five-year-old gelding was the second favourite for the Grant Lowe Benchmark 72 Handicap.
Kudo finished second over 1350m here at his last start. He was forced to do too much work from the wide gate that day but on Friday he drew nicely in barrier 3.
Jockey Jimmy Orman bounced Kudu out of the gates but it took the length of the back straight to find the front as Brave Warrior held him out on the inside. Kudu successfully fended off the challenge of River Rocket as they straightened but then needed to pull out plenty to defy race favourite Ghostwriter who charged late.
Unfortunately for Ghostwriter and his backers, he arrived too late with the race awarded to Kudu by nose.
While the Annabel Neasham stable missed out with Ghostwriter, they did enjoy success earlier in the day with Lady Rain.
Many astute punters had labelled Lady Rain one of the better bets of the day in the In Cahoots Co.Maiden Plate. They were on the money with the $2.15 favourite breaking through for her first win.
Jockey Brodie Loy settled handy in third position before presenting the Wandjina mare in the straight. Mirror One had been supported to beat the favourite, loomed large mid-straight but Loy got the best out of his mount to hang on for a 0.3 length win.
It was a strong first-up win and no doubt there are plenty more in store for the four-year-old.
Photo Finish Goes Hulbert’s Way
Night Guy is a recent addition to the Peter and Will Hulbert stable. The six-year-old was having his second start for the father and son duo when he lined up in Friday’s Swich On Inc. Ratings Band 0-58 Handicap.
The son of Lonhro jumped in the air as the gates opened for the 1350m race and came out a length last. Apprentice jockey Adin Thompson didn’t panic and drove forward along the fence to find a beautiful position just behind the leaders. Thompson shouldered clear entering the straight to set off chasing Tycoon Dancer. Under vigorous riding, Night Guy pulled out plenty to win in a photo finish.
Keen observers would have noticed that Thompson was wearing the club’s colours and not Hulbert’s stable colours.
The reason being that Thompson, who is apprenticed to the Hulberts, forgot to bring the colours. Will Hulbert joked that Thompson would have to pay the fine for his forgetfulness.
Horses To Follow
It will come as no surprise that the two horses to follow out of the meeting are Reeanon and Uncle Russ. Based on their respective wins on Friday, they both have the class to advance to higher levels.
By Craig Sheppard
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