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Meeting In Review – 18 August 2023
Date: 21-Aug-2023
For the fourth week in a row, Friday racing came to Ipswich.
Nine races were run and won, and we’ve taken a look at some of the highlights from the meeting below.
Orman Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
Last season it was a regular occurrence to see Jimmy Orman’s name in the list of winners at Ipswich’s meetings.
The 2022/23 premiership winning jockey has picked up where he left off this season and was back to his brilliant best on Friday where he helped himself to a treble.
The first of Orman’s winning rides came in the opening race of the day, the GET SOCIAL @IPSWICHTURFCLUB Maiden Plate, aboard End Of Month.
The Michael Morrison-trained four-year-old gelding was all the rage with punters, starting at the prohibitive price of $1.28.
Starting from the widest barrier in the field of ten, the talented hoop was happy to race wide early as he moved around the field to take up a position outside the lead.
Apprentice Cejay Graham made a move with 600m to go to take Huka to the lead. However, Orman was having none of that and pushed on to hold her out.
End Of Month dashed clear at the top of the straight to put several lengths on his rivals before drawing clear and win by three lengths.
It was a painless watch for those that took the short odds.
The son of Ocean Park is only lightly raced and can win more staying races at the provincial level.
Orman has enjoyed a great partnership with Eagle Farm trainer Kelly Schweida.
The pair recently celebrated the incredible achievement of 100 winners together.
They added another win to the tally on Friday when they teamed up with Roll Up in the THE BARN FAMILY RESTAURANT Class 4 Handicap.
The son of Zoustar was well supported by the market, jumping as a $1.80 favourite for the 1100m contest.
When the gates crashed back, the four-year-old was unable to muster the early speed that his rivals did, which saw him settle midfield and well off the leaders.
Orman didn’t panic and allowed Roll Up to settle into his own rhythm.
Prior to turning, Orman stirred his mount up and moved to the outside to quickly circle the field.
Roll Up let down powerfully and charged past the opposition to go on to win by three lengths.
Schweida recently made the decision to geld Roll Up and the ultimate gear change paid immediate dividends.
“I was a bit surprised as Jimmy’s plan was to lead,” Schweida said.
“He didn’t show speed last start which worried me.
“He just didn’t want to go so we took the tongue tie off and I said to the boys that he probably wasn’t going to make a stallion so we might as well geld him.
“The vet said ‘they’ were quite large, so it obviously made a difference as he was strong late.
“He’s always been easy to train and a nice horse.
“He’s handled the gelding well and he certainly put them away that last little bit.
“I was worried when we were back in the run but the little bit of give in the track helped.
“I’m very pleased for the owners, they’re a good bunch of blokes.”
Roll Up has demonstrated an abundance of ability from the time he won his maiden at Ipswich 10 months ago but with his mind now switched on, he may go on to realise his talent.
Orman rounded out his winning treble in the CHERY IPSWICH Maiden Handicap over 1200m with debutante Kemi Zabi.
The four-year-old gelding was presented in the mounting yard for his first start in excellent fettle by Queensland’s leading trainer Tony Gollan.
The son of Spirit Of Boom didn’t show a great deal of speed out of the gates which saw Orman settle in the second half of the field.
Kemi Zabi was the widest runner entering the straight and still had some work to do.
Despite laying in under pressure, the debutante showed a nice turn of foot to win narrowly over the fast finishing Innovates.
It was the perfect start to Kemi Zabi’s career and no doubt more wins are in store with Gollan’s polish on him.
Orman joined Ben Thompson at the top of this season’s Ipswich Jockey Premiership with four wins and firmly put him on the path to another title.
Gough Goes Two For Two
The Lindsay Gough stable has been in good form lately and that continued Friday at Ipswich.
The Eagle Farm trainer brought two horses, Boodua Romance and Conti, to the Bundamba circuit and both returned to their stable as winners.
Gough’s winning day started with Boodua Romance in the CONTRACT CHEFS AUSTRALIA Class 1 Plate.
The five-year-old looked close to a win after two very good efforts to start this preparation where he placed at Ballina and Doomben.
Boodua Romance was unable to muster the early speed and settled towards the back of the field.
The Love Conquers All gelding looked like he was in a spot of bother as they entered the straight with a wall of horses in front of him.
However, jockey Michael Murphy was able to extricate his horse to the outside where he produced a scintillating finish to race away from his rivals and win by 1.8 lengths.
It was a devastating win and just reward for Murphy making the drive to Ipswich just to ride him.
Boodua Romance is building a nice record that now stands at two wins and three placings from six starts.
Gough registered his double when Conti claimed the SIRROMET Maiden Handicap over 1200m.
The four-year-old gelding nullified the risk of any trouble barrier 7 could bring by showing good speed out of the gates to settle outside the lead.
Anthony Allen pushed on with Wonforwazza which left jockey Sean Cormack smoking his pipe in a beautiful position on Conti.
As they headed for home, Cormack ease out from behind the leading pair to start his charge to the line.
He took a little winding up, but once he got going, he dashed clear in the final 100m to win by a length.
It was Conti’s first victory and came at start number eight.
While it’s early in the season, Gough’s perfect day delivered him a share of the 2023/24 Ipswich Trainers Premiership.
Also with two wins are seven-time premiership winner Tony Gollan, Jason Patton and Annabel Neasham.
Patience Pays Off With Pianist
The Bevan Laming-trained Pianist spent two years in the paddock after racing at Ipswich on the 8th of July 2021.
The now six-year-old recently returned to racing last month with a luckless fifth.
On Friday she lined up in the TAB BENCHMARK 62 Handicap 800m scamper for just her second start since her long spell.
Seemingly unable to go with her rivals early, jockey Michael Cahill settled last on the fence.
While most fanned wide, the veteran hoop hugged the fence saving many lengths on the turn.
Cahill did not go around a runner as the Smart Missile mare stormed home against the Dulux to win by a length.
Friday’s victory was Pianist’s second at Ipswich after she won on debut in February 2021.
It’s great to see a horse able to return to doing what they love after such a long layoff, and Laming rewarded for showing the great deal of patience he did.
By Craig Sheppard
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