IPSWICH CUP DAY AND TOOWOOMBA PHOTOS......Part 1 INCORPORATING AN EXCLUSIVE ON THE FOOTAGE THAT EVERY PROTEST HEARING SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO

By Phil Purser

19/06/2012

Ipswich photos Dan Costello - rest Phil Purser

As a punter it is terribly debilitating when the horse you have put your hard earned on, only just manages to beat the ambulance in. The "it only just beat the ambulance in" is a famous saying in thoroughbred racing, but here is proof it does happen - in this photo that I took last Thursday in Toowoomba. The name of the horse the jockey the trainer shall stay known only to those who have a racebook from the day, which by now should be only me.

At Ipswich, Grey Assignment - who would hardly be a chestnut with a name like that - and Chris Munce were successful in the opening race on the program. The short priced $2.20 chance got home narrowly from 20/1 hope Brave The Way (green and gold colours) who was ridden by Glen Colless for trainer Alan Bailey. Over on the fence, almost obscured, is Sydney visitor River of Salvation.

In the front row Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale (black suit) was photographed with Grey Assignment's trainer Kelso Wood and others following the Race 1 victory. Think they all hit the committee room bar soon after this photo was taken. Well all of them...........except the horse. The two flags in the background show the breeze that was blowing, but the track didn't dry out even though stewards upgraded it from a dead 5 to a dead 4. If it was a dead 4 at the end of the day I'll be named Mr Universe 2012. The grass was still wet from the heavy morning dew at 11.30am.

Had to laugh on the way to the Toowoomba meeting though as we came across this Western Australian number plated caravan home - and just had to photograph it. Ron and Wendy tell the world they are "in no flippin' hurry" in their "turtle".

Terrific stuff - by all means enjoy your trip - but what about the rest of us, we've got things to do and places to get.

Up in Toowoomba and Agente was photographed winning. Second on the outside was Tisani Star whilst the heavily backed Lady Oscar over on the fence ran third. Agente is trained locally by Michael Nolan and was ridden by apprentice Brooke Richardson. The galloper ran as the $4.40 second favourite. Young Brooke Richardson was pretty excited on the line. The horse hasn't received that many pats since the owners kids were last at the stable.

Michael Kynoch and Michelle Hitchener were photographed at the Pat Kynoch bookmaking stand on the day last Thursday in Toowoomba. Michael is Pat's son and he has already had a long career helping his father out. Just before this photo was taken Michael had accepted a $2,000 bet on Lady Oscar from the previous photo (ran third) at $3.20.

Top Toowoomba jockey Ron Goltz won the first two races last Thursday on his home track, but had problems with a runner later in the day and was photographed returning to the enclosure with officials - on foot. He didn't need the exercise.

Adam Best is always around the money for premiership honours in Toowoomba and he was photographed at  the Clifford Park meeting last Thursday - but he wasn't riding. He was telling me that he'll have a operation this coming Friday for a shoulder problem and that he'll be out for about four months. Did you know that Adam Best and Ronnie Goltz were born on the same day 20 years apart? Well stick with me and we'll learn together.

This is former Western Australia jockey 38YO Wayne O'Connell and Wayne told me has ridden "about 150 winners" in his career thus far. He's been in Queensland only four months from Perth. He spent seven years in Perth riding for trainer Fred Kersley and went to Melbourne with Kersley's best horses Northerly and Marasco some years ago, when they campaigned in the Spring Carnival. Originally from New Zealand, Wayne has ridden the Group 3 winner, All In Fun, in that country. These days he's based in Oakey, outside of Toowoomba - and rides work primarily for trainers Peter Sexton and Matthew Park.

Always remember "more number ones win than any other number in thoroughbred racing" and here is another number one saluting - Savage - in Race 4 at Toowoomba last Thursday. The jockey is apprentice Geoff Goold. Second was Locimagooli (red cap) for apprentice Tegan Harrison and trainer Darryle Brusnahan and third, in the black blinkers, was Carry Larry's Rose (why can't Larry carry the rose himself? Is he frightened of getting pricked - the sook) for red headed jockey Phillip Wolfgram and trainer Eric Ropiha.

This was Savage and Geoff Goold returning to the winners stall to be greeted by one happy strapper. As you can see in this photo, Savage is totally knackered and has dozed off. Wake up Dopey. On course punters who weren't on the winner only have themselves to blame, as the jockey's colours told everyone they were going to star on the day.

Trainer Mark Webb and jockey Geoff Goold were snapped deep in discussion following the victory of topweight Savage in Race 4 at Toowoomba last Thursday. Savage, a colt by Ferocity from the Double Century mare Double Creole, is part owned by former Toowoomba Turf Club Chairman Neville Stewart. Watch got Geoff Goold to ride more horses for Mark Webb given stable rider Adam Best is being operated on Friday - as per an above photo. Geoff's claim is currently two kilos at Toowoomba, but the way he's riding it won't be that much longer.

Then talking about Savage - well the best known "Savage" in Brisbane and surrounds is Peter Savage who is the man behind the Metrospace billboards that you see all around South-East Queensland and Justracing has done business happily for many years with Peter Savage and Metrospace and I noted Peter has just had this very noticeable billboard erected on Brisbane side of Gatton in the paddock where the parachutists jump. It's sure a great location - as most of Metrospace's billboards are - and if your business would benefit from exposure in such a prominent spot, Peter's phone number is there and Metrospace are on the web at:

www.metrospace.com.au

Happy Warwick Farm trainer David Pfieffer and his happy strapper were photographed with Gai's Choice after she had won the Gai Waterhouse Classic at Ipswich last Saturday. She bowed to the Justracing camera which was a nice twist, so she obviously understands the significance of appearing on such a revered website.

As you can see in front of the strapper - this presentation has obviously gone on far too long and they've jumped in the next race and are nearing the finish line, so we'd best go to that race.

Sorry - we were too late to get a photo as they crossed the line in the next race, the Ipswich Cup, so the best we can do is show winning jockey Eddie Wilkinson returning on the winner Shenzhou Steeds. As you can see by this photo neither Eddie Wilkinson or the Clerk of the Course Sharon ??? were watching where they are going and they crashed into a fence soon after this photo was taken. All escaped injury. In 1989 Sharon, then with her Maiden name Bayliss, led her brother Jamie Bayliss back to scale after he'd won the ipswich Cup on Dixie Kid. They are believed to have created Australian racing history that day, as no Clerk of the Course had ever led their brother or sister back to scale after winning a black type race.

Once again there were errors galore in racing last Saturday around Australia. Brisbane stewards noted that Bevico Girl who drew the inside barrier missed the start in her race. Does the inside horse look to miss the start to you? Case closed.

Best Bets tell we punters of Australia how good they are in advertisements on racing television and racing radio stations, yet they can't even get the track record holders right at the Ipswich meeting. Distancia holds the Ipswich 2150-metre track record at 2.10.40 set when he won the Ipswich Cup way back in 1987, that's just 25 years, or a quarter of a century ago, so I have no idea what the crew at Best Bets are on. Who the hell is Hula Lua? Must have been a slow conveyance, as Distancia would have beaten it in by about 20 lengths.

Be warned that Belltone might get rolled next start, as he's not happy with his trainer Kelso Wood after this little incident. He won the Eye Liner Stakes, then went looking for a feed in the trophy that he'd just won - but he couldn't find a feed for love nor money. If the horse is half as smart as Kelso Wood thinks, then he's not going to be happy at people laughing at him when he's looking for some tucker, or a drink of water.

In the grey suit is Ipswich Turf Club committeeman and one of the nice guys of racing - Liam Tansey. Liam has been a respected Ipswich accountant in the city for about three decades. By that smile on his dial there's a pretty fair chance that he was on the winner.

How is this for a great idea? It should be invoked in Australian racing forthwith. The photo is taken of Sky Channel showing a race in France and the television camera superimposes straight lines on the screen, which accurately let's one and all see if a horse has run around during the race. How terrific would this be for protest hearings in Australia? Probably get in here in about 2040 - and I'll miss it. Bugger.

Probably makes too much sense for Australian racing officials - they rather sit there in protest hearings - and guess - if horses are running straight. Sky Channel and TVN should be able to have this technology available for stewards enquiries, the same as those entities can superimpose distance markers on tracks today for the 200, 300, etcetera.

TO BE CONTINUED....................TOMORROW