The Goondiwindi Race Club staged the first leg of the Triple Crown series at Gunsynd Park on Saturday under perfect winter skies. The program saw the best field assembled for many a year, and the crowd where not disappointed with the quality of racing. Whilst not a massive crowd, those that attended enjoyed the day.
Racing commenced with the Ambrose Haulage/Air Care/Town & Country Maiden Plate over 1,000 meters. The opening favourite, Early Choice, was slow to begin, and the eventual winner, Windsong, trained in Warwick by Walter Munro and ridden by Warwick apprentice Tamarra Noble, gave nothing else a chance and gave Tamarra the first leg of a winning double. Red Shiraz got a long way back early and flew home to get second with another consistent run by Warwick runner Missy’s Ready to get third. The winner was always in the market, about $4.
The Border Motel/Goondi Cup September 9 Class B over 1200 meters was the second on the program. Unfortunately, Bright Realm’s gate failed to open correctly, and he was declared a non-runner. Pheebe’s Spirit led easily on barrier rise, but the Geran trained In a Minute Riley and ridden by regular apprentice, Landan Sykes, enjoyed a perfect run and presented beautifully on the turn and came away to win well. In a Minute Riley was well backed from $3.50 into $2.70 to start favourite. Pheebe’s Spirit held on for second with a long shot, Flash Shiraz in third place.
The third was the Morella Ag/ Goondiwindi Cotton Benchmark 65 over 1200 meters, and local hero, Fitzroy Boy was a warm favourite with the local crowd. Unfortunately, it was not his day after a long preparation but it was the start of an excellent day for Toowoomba trainer Pat Webster who saddled up Oakfield Target and started at $5 in a solid betting race. Brisbane apprentice Corey Sutherland was on board and held off stablemate Realaide who quinellaed the race with favourite Mahbaby. In third place.
It was Corey Sutherland again in the fourth, the Triple Crown Series Benchmark 55 over 1400 meters, this time for the Geran racing team and Sempreinte. The local hope, Cape Cluster, ran out of his skin to get up along the fence to just go under at $41 with two more Geran runners, Rudimentary and Gertie Goer finishing third and fourth. Sempreinte was the widest of the three Geran runners at $7 and least fancied.
And so, to the Carrington Cotton Boggabilla Cup over 1400 meters to see who would earn the right to go onto St George and Talwood to have a crack at the $10,000 Triple Crown bonus. This was another very open race and the Geran trained Torbreck was sent out favourite after his convincing win at Gunsynd Park in June. But the Mungindi Cup winner, Palate had other ideas and with Tamarra Noble using her 4 kg allowance to her best advantage, it saw Palate earn that right. Jakkalberry Finn was undoubtedly the run of the race after getting back to last in the early stages and finished like a train but could not haul in Palate who had just too big of a brake. Veteran Kappy Cino showed glimpses of his old form to hang on for third.
It capped off what was a remarkable day for trainer Pat Webster who saddled up two winners at Inverell, one at Eagle Farm and two at Goondiwindi. A feat very rarely achieved.
Pat Webster, originally from St George and Palate, St George owned will now go to the St George Cup over 1600 meters on July 29 and is sure to start a short-price favourite on his home track. He will need to break a few records to do it as he will be shooting for four straight wins after winning the Mungindi Cup a fortnight ago before the Boggabilla Cup yesterday.
He will also have to run an extra 200 meters at St. George and again at Talwood to take out the Triple Crown, but ever there is a trainer that can do it, it is Pat Webster.
