Meeting In Review 15 September 2023

Date: 18-Sep-2023

Following a month of renovations to the course proper, racing returned to Ipswich on Friday.

Track manager Sean Tou and his team had the track looking fantastic for the eight-race card.

More importantly, the impressive looking surface also played well.

We have looked at some of the highlights from our first meeting back.

Morrisey Bookends The Card

Gold Coast trainer Scott Morrisey brought two horses to Ipswich on Friday and made the drive back down the M1 with two winner’s cheques.

Morrisey put the saddle on Fastheartbeat in the opening event of the day, the QUEENSLAND THERMO KING QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Plate over 800m.

Following an impressive 15-length trial victory, the No Nay Never gelding led on debut over 1200m at Beaudesert but ran out of puff in the run home.

That indicated that the drop back to this scamper distance would suit.

When the gates crashed back, jockey Georgie Cartwright marked Fastheartbeat’s card “urgent”.

The pair drove forward from barrier 9 to lead into the straight.

Race favourite King Of The Jungle tried to mount a challenge in the run home but could only get within 0.8 of a length and the conclusion of the race.

It was an impressive display of speed from a horse having just its second start.

The conditioner from the Glitter Strip had to wait until the final race of the day, the SBB PARTNERS RATINGS BAND 0 - 58 Handicap, to complete his winning day.

Rockin’ Artie was a well-supported favourite in the 1666m contest and jumped at $2.90.

With gun apprentice Bailey Wheeler in the saddle, the five-year-old gelding flew out of the barriers like he was fired out of a cannon.

However, Belle’s Boy’s jockey Jai Williams drove forward from an inside gate to hold out Rockin’ Artie to lead.

The son of Flying Artie enjoyed a beautiful run just behind the leader before Wheeler gave him his cue just prior to straightening.

He shot clear at the top of the straight with Says Who in pursuit.

While outsiders Says Who and Epic Love flew late, Rockin’ Artie had the race in his control to win by just under a length.

Morrisey’s winning double took his tally of Ipswich wins this season to three and catapulted him to the top of the Ipswich Trainers Premiership for 2023/24.

Munce Quinellas Don Moore Memorial Handicap

Just like Scott Morrisey, the Chris Munce stable brought just two horses to Ipswich on Friday.

However, in their case, both horses were in the same race.

Wearing Munce’s trademark Royal Blue with Southern Cross colours, Hearsay and Heroic Miss lined up in the DON MOORE MEMORIAL Class 2 Handicap.

The Tony Gollan-trained Radiant Remi was backed as if unbeatable, but her chances were put to bed early in the 1200m contest with the mare unable to cross from her wide gate.

The Munce pair took up the running with Hearsay lobbing on the fence and Heroic Miss sitting outside her.

As they passed the 800m post, apprentice jockey Tahlia Fenlon pushed forward on Heroic Miss to open a three-length lead as they entered the straight.

Heroic Miss looked to shoot clear at the top of the straight, but Dan McGillivray on Hearsay was having nothing of that.

The Star Witness let down beautifully to run down her stablemate in the shadows of the post to create a great finishing photo for the Munce team.

While the official margin was a nose, the two chestnut mares were clearly in another class to the rest of the field.

Cartwright Claims Double Of Her Own

As previously mentioned, Georgie Cartwright rode Fastheartbeat to victory in the opening race of the day.

She teamed up with the David Murphy-trained Flaming Conquest in the BIG RIGS NEWSPAPER BENCHMARK 75 Handicap to register her second win of the day.

Funnily enough, just like the first race, it was also over the 800m dash for cash.

The four-year-old mare was resuming and has always shown an abundance of speed, but the addition of blinkers really signalled intent from the Murphy stable first-up.

Flaming Conquest left the barrier quickly with Cartwright taking full advantage of an inside gate to drive forward to hold out Underhand and take up the running.

When Underhand looked to be closing the gap on the daughter of Love Conquers All, she booted clear to win by 0.8 of a length.

In a positive endorsement for the renovated track, which was rated a Soft 5, Flaming Conquest clocked the very quick time of 45.12 seconds.

Cartwright has only ridden at Ipswich six times this season but her two wins provided her a share of third position on the Ipswich Jockeys Premiership.

Kai Tak’s Day In The Sun

In five previous starts for Jack Bruce, Kai Tak had come agonisingly close to breaking through for her maiden victory.

The well-bred Snitzel mare had been fancied by the market in each race but had only been able to deliver three seconds.

On Friday at Ipswich punters believed it was finally her day, backing her in to a $1.75 favourite for the QUEENSLAND TRUCKING ASSOCIATION Maiden Handicap.

It did not start well for Kai Tak with the four-year-old exiting the gates from the 1200m start close to last.

Talented hoop Ben Thompson did not panic and drove up along the fence to settle midfield.

Thompson advanced forward through the centre of the pack at the 600m mark.

He pulled to the outside as they straightened and the mare did the rest, sprinting powerfully to win by a head.

After several luckless starts, Bruce and his connections would be pleased that Kai Tak was able to have her day in the sun.

The win took Thompson’s tally to five for the season at Ipswich and to the top of the Ipswich Jockeys Premiership for 2023/24.

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