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Meeting In Review 24 August 2022
Date: 25-Aug-2022
Clear blue skies greeted participants and racegoers at Wednesday’s Ipswich Turf Club meeting. A riding treble to Ben Thompson and Tony Gollan extending his Ipswich Trainers premiership lead courtesy of a winning double were among the highlights on the eight race card.
Punters were in a good mood at the completion of the meeting with five favourites saluting.
Maple Door Delivers at Winx Odds
It’s not often you see a horse start a $1.22 favourite at Ipswich. That was the case in the opening race of the day, the Follow @IPSWICHTURFCLUB Maiden Plate.
With the race being reduced to 1350 metres from an original distance of 1700 metres, many of the leading chances chose to scratch. This left the Kelly Schweida-trained Maple Door at prohibitive odds that regularly followed the mighty mare Winx’s name.
Those thrill seekers that dived into the short quote had little to fear. Jockey Jimmy Orman settled midfield before coming off the rail prior to entering the straight. Maple Door got to the outside and when Orman gave him his cue with a furlong to go, she shot clear to win easily by 1.8 lengths.
The four-year-old looked a picture in the mounting yard. Orman was pleased that Maple Door had finally broken through for his first win.
“He’s a hard horse to ride,” Orman said.
“He does a lot of things wrong but today he was a lot better.
“I popped off to give myself the opportunity to roll into the race. It was a small field and looked a bit tricky on paper but his class got us over the line.
“He’ll be better over a mile with a more genuine tempo and just locked away on the fence.
“He’s built nice. I’ll be honest, the ability is there but he just needs to put it all together.”
Third Time Round Fitting Right Into Queensland Life
When Third Time Round finished six-lengths behind the winner in a Toowoomba maiden in her first start for the stable, trainer Tony Gollan must have questioned her ability.
However, since that night the former New Zealand mare could not have been more impressive.
Two weeks ago she finished strongly to win her maiden at Doomben. Queensland’s leading trainer then bypassed a Class 1 and jumped straight to Wednesday’s TAB Venue Mode Fillies & Mares Class 2 Plate.
Gollan’s confidence in her ability was justified. Jockey Ben Thompson settled second in the small field of six over 1350 metres. In a slowly run race, Thompson loomed outside leader Tesaura as they straightened. With 100 metres to go, Third Time Round put the opposition away to stride away for a 1.8 length win.
“She’s been great since being beaten as a short priced favourite at Toowoomba,” Gollan said.
“She was really good at Doomben the other day. She’s a filly that’s really getting the hang of things here now and racing on her Queensland leg.
“She’s really enjoying it. We didn’t step her up to the mile, we were happy to keep her at this 1350-1400 metre.
“On that today (Wednesday) we certainly could go a little bit further if we wanted to but she’s certainly found a good home here in Queensland.”
Oriental Runner Breaks Two Year Drought
May 16, 2020 was the date when Oriental Runner won his last race. That was until Wednesday when the evergreen nine-year-old recorded win number five in the Schweppes Class 4 Handicap over 800m.
Trainer Lauren Abbott admitted that she left race tactics up to jockey Noel Callow. The larrikin hoop didn’t let her down. After a good start, Callow settled just behind the speed before scouting wide entering the straight. Under the urges of Callow late, Oriental Runner found plenty to swamp Better Rush and Dream Weaving to claim a close victory.
“I was sort of quietly confident but because of his form and he never wins very well, I thought ‘oh Lauren, come on get real’,” Abbott said.
“If you watched his trials in Sydney over 800 metres he ran well over that sort of distance so I thought I’ll let Noel (Callow) work it out and see what happens.
“Hopefully the win will give him some confidence. I think he’s a confidence horse. He tried his guts out in those Group and Listed races in Sydney and he wouldn’t win.
“Maybe winning something like this will give him that confidence.”
Abbott has done well with turning the fortunes of tried horses around and revealed that less track work and more time at the beach was the key. Just two weeks ago Brazen Breccia won at Ipswich for Abbott.
“I’ve been training for three years now and have refined my beach work,” Abbott said.
“I can work out what horse needs what now. When at the beach, I do something that I think the technical term is ‘rushing’ so the water comes up to their shoulders.
“I also do a lot of trotting which I class as galloping. Because Oriental Runner wasn’t used to it, he tried really hard to do it.
”So he’s pretty fit really!”
Bruce Continues Great Start To Training Career
Jack Bruce has only been in the training caper since May this year but he’s already tasted his fair share of success.
The Deagon trainer has an amazing winning strike-rate of 30%. He saddled up Husson’s Revenge in Wednesday’s Great Northern Benchmark 58 Handicap looking to keep his unbeaten Ipswich record intact after Cherrypick won here in July.
Jockey Ben Thompson was forced to work early from the outside gate to find the front. After going 300 metres in the 1100 metres contest, Husson’s Revenge obtained the lead on his own. Thompson had his rivals off the bit as he dashed clear in the straight. While the margin was shortened to a length on the line, the race was in the four-year-old’s control.
“I have to admit, I’m having a good run at the moment but that win is particularly satisfying,” Bruce said.
“He’s been a horse who has been in work for a long time. He’s a big podgy fellow but he’s finally come to fitness and he’s got the result.
‘He had to work hard and it was a good ride by Beh Thompson. He had to take a risk and get to the front but he did and he rode him well.
“He judged his effort and got the result. Ben said that he was going to keep up a good sustained gallop and get them off the bridle.
“It was a smart tactic and a great win.”
Bruce stated that he has plenty up his sleeve fitness wise with Husson’s Revenge and believes he’ll be better over further.
The proud kiwi trainer admitted to loving life in Queensland and no doubt if he keeps winning at Ipswich, he’ll love coming to Bundamba.
Madame Odette Makes Winning Start To Career
The Tony Gollan stable had two chances, Madame Odette and Canuck, in Wednesday’s Trivia Night 16 September Maiden Handicap.
Madame Odette with Georgie Cartwright in the saddle showed a great turn of foot to finish off powerfully over the final 200 metres to defeat Canuck who turned her form around after a lacklustre first-up run.
Gollan praised both jockeys who contribute a lot to the stable and hinted that Madame Odette has a bright future.
“Both fillies were ridden really well by two girls that do a whole lot of work for us at home in Georgie (Cartwright) and Ang (Jones) so both horses got every chance and fought out the finish well,” Gollan said.
“Madame Odette stepped out pretty well like we thought. She came here, although a little babyish she’s very professional and has a lot of upside to her.
“She’s a filly that will get a lot further. I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets to a mile and a quarter later in her three-year-old career.
“She’s a lovely tough filly. The more I ask of her, the better she goes.
“We gave her three trials getting her ready for today (Wednesday) which is unusual for these three-year-olds that have just come out of their two-year-old year but she’s very tough and always asks for more.
“When Georgie asked for more she was happy to deliver.”
The win was Gollan’s second for the day and extended his lead to three wins on the 2022/23 Ipswich Trainer’s premiership.
First Aussie Winner For Taplin Family
Kerry and Ian Taplin made the life changing decision to uproot their New Zealand South Island lives about two months ago and move to the Sunshine Coast.
A number of ‘Tappy’s’ horses have recently started to show up at South-East Queensland race meetings. That trend continued Wednesday at Ipswich when the Taplin’s entered Tappy’s Lad in The Barn Family Restaurant Benchmark 65 Handicap.
The five-year-old had won up to 2500 metres and looked an out and out stayer in his previous Queensland start. Despite starting a $14 chance, he looked right in the 2200m contest.
With tearaway leader Tycoon Player coming back to the field, jockey Ben Thompson started his run aboard Tappy’s Lad on the turn. The gelding took awhile to wind up but was the strongest when it counted and won by half a length.
Kerry Taplin was over the moon to record the team’s first win since arriving in Queensland.
“This is our first winner, it’s been a long wait,” Taplin said.
“We’ve been here two and half months now and we’re really happy with how the team is going.
“A win today (Wednesday) is incredible.”
Taplin explained that a move from New Zealand to Australia had been something the husband and wife training partnership had been considering for some time.
“We’d been over a few times and it was probably in the last five years that we’ve been looking for the right environment that we wanted for ourselves, our children and our horses...so it’s all come together,” Taplin said.
Tappy’s Lad was a late pick up ride for jockey Ben Thompson. It proved fortuitous as it provided the young hoop with a winning treble on the day.
Peel And Her Gentle Prince
Apprentice jockey Wendy Peel and veteran trainer Pat Duff have combined for plenty of winners lately. That continued in Wednesday’s IEEC.COM.AU Benchmark 65 Handicap when the pair teamed up with Gentle Prince.
Changing the race to 1350 metres from the originally scheduled 1700m saw over half the field scratched and perhaps played into the hands of Gentle Prince. Still you can only defeat what’s presented to you and the beautifully natured son of Casino Prince did that empathically.
Peel looked to lead early but was challenged by All Fairy Prince and Marnie’s Star. The 1.5 kg claimer allowed those two to go on and settled in third. Peel looked to have a lap full of horse under her as she pulled out approaching the straight. Gentle Prince put the leaders away quickly after straightening before dashing clear for a length win.
It was a peach of a ride from Peel.
The win was the third time Peel had ridden Gentle Prince to victory in their past five starts together.
Argyle Lane Ends The Day On The Right Note
Plenty of eyes around Australia were on the final race of the day at Ipswich on Wednesday. Argyle Lane was looking to keep his undefeated record intact when he lined up in the Sirromet Colts, Geldings & Entires Class 2 Plate over 1350m.
The half-brother to Incentivise had won his first two race starts. Punters believed he could make it three from three and sent Argyle Lane out a $1.85 favourite.
The Josh King-trained gelding jumped well and settled third in the run. When leader Smytzer eased the speed off on the turn, Argyle Lane’s jockey Michael Murphy edged closer to sit outside the lead.
The pair went stride for stride in the straight with a photo required to separate them. Much to the delight of punters, Argyle Lane was awarded the race.
While many thought it would be a much easier win to the big gelding, the stirring finish was a fitting way to end the meeting.
Horses To Follow
Race 2 - Third Time Round: After a rocky start, this former New Zealand mare has settled into Tony Gollan’s stable nicely with two wins. She jumped from maiden company to a Class 2 relatively easily suggesting she has ability. With the guidance of the great trainer she’s sure to progress to Saturday company.
Race 5 - Madame Odette: The three-year-old filly made a great start to her career with a win over 1200m. She showed a great turn of foot and will be better as she steps up in distance. Another from the Gollan stable.
Obviously many will follow Argyle Lane due to his famous half-brother and undefeated record. Husson’s Revenge was a tough win in race 4 and will be one to follow at the midweek level.
By Craig Sheppard
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