EAGLE FARM - BRONCOS - GRANDCHESTER STEAMFEST PHOTOS....Part 1

By Phil Purser

27/07/2010

All Eagle Farm photos Dan Costello - rest Phil Purser

On the outside, Glen Colless is a magnificent image of poetry in motion as he guides Fifteen Carat to victory in the Listed Tattersall's Mile at Eagle Farm last Saturday. The race was worth $75,000. Running second, beaten a short head, is Toowoomba galloper Bold Glance, who I stated in my preview of the race couldn't win and he was favourite at the time. His close second should keep me "regular" this week however. Fifteen Carat is apparently going to the Epsom now. Umh. Glen Colless won't be riding him there though as he wouldn't make the weight the gelding would get unless he cut a leg off. Would you like me to introduce you to Fifteen Carat's trainer? Hang on then.

Well here you are then - this is Fifteen Carat's trainer Howard Wilson after the win. Howard is based at the Gold Coast. He was in the harness racing industry before training thoroughbreds.

This eight week old miniature fox terrier stole both my granddaughter's and my heart at the 2010 Steamfest celebrations at Grandchester just west of Ipswich last Sunday, so I thought I'd better photograph her for readers. What a cutie - and she wouldn't eat much.

At Grandchester and that's my excited 10YO grandaughter Bianca having her photo taken in front of the Cobb & Co coach that she wanted a ride in, so soon after the photo was taken we did a lap of the village in the coach. Adults were $10 and children $5. I was glad for little Bianca's sake that there weren't any bushrangers around though, as she might have got a bit filthy at the thought of having to hand her spending money over had we been robbed.

Visiting this website of www.grandchester-stagecoaches.com - as per this sign - tells you all about the wonderful array of trips that people can go on in Cobb & Co coaches. Grandchester is situated about 25 minutes from Ipswich between Rosewood and Laidley. Who is the most famous racing person that lives near the little town? Sorry you'll have to wait until tomorrow for the answer to that one.

Whilst at Grandchester I noticed this statue and couldn't resist photographing it. I think I backed this excuse for an equine athlete last Saturday at Eagle Farm and did my money cold. I asked the sheila at the counter who it was - and all she would say was "he made an audible sound of e-orr,e-orr up the straight yesterday in town and the stewards have banished him to the bush". Wish they'd get a dentist to the poor little bugger, as I think that is where his problems are. Needs a gear change of "braces on" for mine. His feet look well maintained, so the problem is not in the feet.

Back out at Eagle Farm and Larry Cassidy was photographed winning Race 1 at the program aboard Fillydelphia which ran favourite at $3. Want to meet my friend Rob Heathcote who trains the first race winner? Hang on then.

Well here is Rob Heathcote and winning jockey Larry Cassidy deep in conversation after the opening race at Eagle Farm last Saturday. Larry's got the giggles, as he thinks he is going to get his 5% of the winners cheque of $74,000 - as that was the winner's cheque amount if the filly was QTIS 600 registered. Unfortunately she wasn't, so she had to be content with just $32,000. What a shame, as Rob's such a big advocate of the QTIS 600 concept.

Out at the Broncos last Sunday and Israel Folau was busy signing autographs when this photo was snapped. Let me show you the front of the Broncos Leagues Club in case you never get to Brisbane.

When you see this - you know you are at the front door to the Broncos Leagues Club - and it is a nice place to spend a few hours. My late grandfather Frank Purser who taught multiple Stradbroke winning trainer Con Doyle at school, was for many years during his retirement the treasurer of the Ithaca Bowling Club which is next door to the Broncos. The Broncos Leagues Club of which my wife and I are both members have nice food, friendly staff - and if you are lucky, you get to see some of the Broncos players up close and personal. Want to catch up with captain Darren Lockyer?

Broncos captain Darren Lockyer got three broken ribs when hit in a big tackle at training Sunday. No he didn't - just kidding, he played last night. The Broncos key man does some wonderful work for charity and is one of the few "champions" I have seen in decades of watching rugby league. What an asset to the game he is. He enjoys his racing and had good success as a part owner with that filly Liam Birchley trained to run second in the Queensland Oaks of 2006 - Vietnam.

Lochiel's win clearly thrilled everyone connected with the horse. Pictured (L-R) are the strapper Esther Vessey, Matthew Dunn, who is Gerald Ryan's foreman at Murwillumbah - and owner Dr Purtle.

Clydesdale horses pull the Cobb & Co coaches these days - and this is a Clydesdale horse who was on display on the day.

Have a look at this horse and somewhere around his body there is an obvious problem. What do you think it might be? The answer is in the last question.

Do you know that there is a difference between a Clydesdale and a draft horse? Well there is. Let me show you.

My 10YO granddaughter Bianca took this great shot of draft horses being worked on the Grandchester Steamfest day, showing the public how they ploughed a field in the days before tractors. Draft horses are shorter and more stocky than Clydesdales. It should also be noted that many thoroughbred stud farms, like Lyndhurst, have permanent Clydesdale mares on the stud, in foal, so that they are foaling the same time as the thoroughbred mares, then if a thoroughbred broodmare dies during foaling, the passive natured Clydesdale mare will generally foster the ophaned thoroughbred successfully. Let's spin these horses that are ploughing the paddock around and have a look at their melons hey? Bianca - are you ready darlin'?

This the four draft horses front on, which is a bit easier on the eye than looking at the fertiliser end. Let me tell you one more interesting thing about draft horses that plough paddocks up.

Now next Saturday afternoon at 4pm, the Australian Draft Horse Stud Book Society is having a big afternoon and evening of entertainment to celebrate the horses birthday. The event features a camp oven dinner, a licensed bar and free camping for anyone who would like to stay the night.

The event will be staged at Herrmann's Heritage Farm - 516 Prenzlau Road - Prenzlau and the phone number for enquiries is (07) 54268473 (President) or 0428858707 (Secretary). I met Terry Herrmann at Grandchester last Sunday who informed me of the event for readers and he also advised that a percentage of the profits from the event go to worthy charity Angel Flight.

To give the event a racing flavour, 2010 Inter Dominion trotting runner-up Kasyanov is trained just up the road in Prenzalu by Shaun Gillespie.

Draft horses ploughing paddocks wear no shoes, as per this photo, as when it rains all the mud would get up between their hoof and the shoe, which is exactly the scenario former jockey and now Sky Channel host Larry Olsen explained to readers some years ago occurs to horses that race in bar plates on rain affected tracks.

Talking about Larry Olsen, did you see last Saturday in Townsville that he interviewed a bloke I've never seen - Wanderson D'Avila - just before the Cleveland Bay Handicap. Moments later Wanderson D'Avila won the Cleveland Bay at about $16 on the tote aboard the former Toowoomba galloper Heart. Wanderson used to ride in Brazil - and he has also ridden winners in England. This was Wanderson being interviewed on Sky just before Heart won. Who sourced Heart for trainer Jay Morris. Stick around, as I've got  a photo of him here somewhere.

The answer is this chap - Peter Bredhauer (pictured on the right as you look at the photo). The other chap in the photo is Toowoomba trainer Barry Squair and the pair were photographed at a Clifford Park Toowoomba meeting in 2009. Peter Bredhauer has his own bloodstock company called Darling Downs Bloodstock - and he sourced Heart out of the Michael Nolan stable in Toowoomba. The horse will now go to the Birdsville Carnival.

And last but not least, the problem with the Clydesdale from the earlier photo is that its tail was nearly all gone. Horses can eat each others tail pretty much back to the stump.