Meeting In Review 10 March 2023

Date: 13-Mar-2023

Friday racing returned to the Ipswich Turf Club last week with a 10-race card. We love hosting Friday meetings but unfortunately the weather gods didn’t share our enthusiasm and delivered showers throughout the afternoon.

Orman The King Of Ipswich

If Sam Collett is the Queen of Ipswich, there is no doubting that the King is Jimmy Orman. Last season’s top Queensland jockey has gone on with it this year and is a dominant leader of this season’s Ipswich premiership.

The talented hoop extended his lead in the 2022/23 race with a double on Friday. Orman now sits on 24 wins which is 13 more wins than Ben Thompson who is currently in second position. Orman registered the first of his two wins in THE BARN FAMILY RESTAURANT Maiden Handicap aboard the Chris Waller-trained Must. The three-year-old gelding was well supported, backed into a $1.85 favourite.

When the gates crashed back to start the 1350m contest, Must was the slowest to get into stride. Orman elected to go back to the rail before driving forward to find a spot slightly worse than midfield. With 400m to go, Orman extricated his mount off the fence and started to improve his position.

Must still had five lengths to make up as they entered the straight where Orman got him to the outside. From there it was a wild ride for Orman with Must racing erratically and wanting to hang out. By the time they got to the winning post, Must was on the outside fence. Thankfully for the short-priced backers, he possessed enough natural ability to deliver a 0.8 of a length victory.

The second of Orman’s Friday wins came in the ninth event of the day, the EVENTS @ IEEC.COM.AU BM75 Handicap where top jock partnered Light Of Boom.

The Adam Camption-trained four-year-old was heavily backed late thanks to his great record on rain-affected going. After jumping well from the inside gate, he drifted back to settle midfield on the fence.

As he did aboard Must, Orman got the son of Spirit Of Boom to the outside entering the straight. Light Of Boom worked home strongly but really picked up in the final 100m of the 1100m contest to win by a nose.

With such a big lead in the 2022/23 Jockey premiership, It looks a foregone conclusion that Orman will again be crowned Ipswich’s leading jockey at season end.

Jones Has Apprentice Title In Sight

Angela Jones has been in unstoppable form this season. The talented apprentice currently leads the Queensland Metropolitan Apprentice Title by a mammoth 30 wins and that winning form has carried over to Ipswich where she has ridden 10 winners.

The young hoop currently sits equal third on the overall Ipswich Jockey premiership but is a clear leader in the Apprentice race.

Jones added two to her tally at Friday’s Ipswich meeting. The first of her double came in the FILLIES AND FASCINATORS QTIS Three-Years-Old Maiden Plate over 800m.

She partnered the Tony Gollan-trained Liquor who was on debut. Jones stocked the Spirit Of Boom filly up out of the gates to take up the running. She was joined by Artie Pantz prior to straightening but once they turned for home, the three-year-old pulled away to win by half a length.

It was a nice display from Liquor and no doubt Friday’s win will be the first of many for the Black Soil Bloodstock-owned filly.

Just two races later, Jones recorded her second win for the day. This time she was aboard the Bevan Laming-trained My Pins.

The four-year-old mare was considered a rough chance at $21 to be win the SCHWEPPES Maiden Handicap but she defied the odds in emphatic fashion.

My Pins exploded out of the gates from barrier 11 of 12 to lead the field in the 1350m race. Jones controlled proceedings beautifully in front seemingly having the chasing pack off the bit. She shook her mount up at the top of the straight and the daughter of Pins responded magnificently, dashing clear to win by 3.5 lengths.

It was an excellent ride by Jones to run her rivals ragged. My Pins looked an odds on pop not an outsider in her dominant win. The apprentice is in the early stages of her career but the way she goes about business and the number of wins she’s racking up suggests a bright and exciting future lies ahead.

A Win For The Locals

It’s always good to see one our local trainers enjoy a win on their home turf and that was the case in the TAB QTIS Three-Years-Old BM62 Handicap over 1700m.

Ipswich horseman Trevor Lambourn put the saddle on Original Glaze. A horse that was coming off a good effort at Lismore in its previous start but was considered a $14 chance on Friday.

With Georgie Cartwight in the irons, the daughter of Thronum drove forward out of the gates to lead. Mishani Choice sat at the filly’s girth to ensure a solid tempo was set. Original Glaze was travelling sweetly as they approached the run home. The same could not be said for her rivals.

Cartwright gave her mount full bore at the top of the straight and went for home. While she tired late with the chasing pack reducing the margin, the damage had been done. It was a great ride which resulted in a 0.8 of a length victory.

Original Glaze provided Lambourn with his second Ipswich win of the season after Rowlett won at the start of the season on August 12. It also took him to equal top of the Local Trainer’s Premiership.

Stable Newcomer Wins First-Up

Eagle Farm trainer Chris Munce is no stranger to winning at Ipswich. He won the 2011-12 premiership as a jockey and as a trainer, he won last year’s Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic with Centrefire.

He was in the winner’s stall on Friday with a new recruit to the stable, Aureus Angel. The five-year-old mare was having her first start for Munce after previously racing in Sydney with Edward Cummings.

If her effort in GREAT NORTHERN Fillies and Mares Class 1 Handicap is anything to go by, she’ll pick off a number of races in the Sunshine State.

The daughter of Turffontein jumped well but was restrained from the wide gate by Kyle Wilson-Taylor to prevent being caught deep. The apprentice hoop started to improve from his midfield position at the Great Northern sign.

The pair circled the field and had levelled up with the leaders as they straightened for home. She let down beautifully with Wilson-Taylor riding hands and heels. The final margin was 1.3 lengths understating the ease of the win.

Wilson-Taylor commented post-race that the new owners will have plenty of fun with the five-year-old.

By Craig Sheppard

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