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Meeting In Review 18 January 2023
Date: 19-Jan-2023
Midweek metropolitan racing came to the Ipswich Turf Club on Wednesday with several horses at the meeting stamping themselves as ‘one to follow’. A blue sky, warm weather and a fast track provided a great backdrop for the eight-race card.
Venkaya Trains First Metropolitan Winner
Vishan Venkaya has been a jockey for many years but a horrific fall just over a year ago forced him to reassess his career.
Fearing that his career in the irons may be over, the Mauritian obtained a dual license to enable him to train as well as ride.
Ipswich has been a happy hunting ground for Venkaya since he started training in November 2022. Just a week and half ago, he trained Shadie Milly to a boil over win at the massive odds of $101.
Unfortunately, Shadie Milly couldn’t repeat the dose last Saturday. Venkaya returned to the Bundamba circuit on Wednesday with Chayse ‘N’ Noah looking to cause another upset.
The four-year-old mare lined up in the STROUD HOMES IPSWICH BENCHMARK 65 Handicap over 2210 metres as a $41 chance.
Jockey Karl Zechner was able to settle Chayse ‘N’ Noah midfield on the fence. Zechner got busy on the turn as the leaders looked to extend their break. The daughter of Tarzino hugged the fence as they made their way home. Zechner hugged the dulux as his mount powered to the line to win by just under a length at big odds.
Venkaya was understandably excited to have trained his first metropolitan winner and hinted he had an expectation of more wins in store for the mare.
“This is my first metro winner,” Venkaya said.
“It’s great. I hope that more horses come to my stable and I can get more winners.
“Today (Wednesday) I was expecting a very good run from Chayse ‘N’ Noah.
“I took her to Ballina last start over 1900 metres. The jockey said that she needed further.
“The extra 300 metres today helped the horse and we also added blinkers which also helped a lot.
“There’s more to come from this horse.”
Venkaya was full of praise for Zechner who has built a great relationship with not Chayse ‘N’ Noah but the Deagon stable’s three other horses.
“I always leave this jockey on this horse because he knows her well,” Venkaya said.
“He gets on well with her, so I don’t want to change anything.
“He gave me my first winner, my second winner and now my third winner.”
“Ratbag” Goes Back-To-Back At Ipswich
A “ratbag” horse who has gotten the better of several southern trainers but may finally be reaching her potential thanks to Bryan Dais.
Miss Baltimore was having just her third start for the Eagle Farm horseman when she took her place in Wednesday’s THE BARN FAMILY RESTAURANT BENCHMARK 68 Handicap.
The five-year-old mare won at her previous start on 30 December at Ipswich over 1200 metres and was taking on 1350m metres for the first time.
While not the first to leave the gates, Miss Baltimore quickly moved up and took the lead after 200 metres. Star apprentice Angela Jones controlled the race beautifully in front. The duo gave their rivals the slip at the top of the straight and dashed clear. The further they went, the further the margin increased.
The final margin was 4.3 lengths and signaled that Miss Baltimore is a mare of some potential.
Dais explained that while the win appeared to come with ease, in reality a lot of work had taken place behind the scenes for Miss Baltimore to reach her potential.
“It was nice, a really good run” Dais said.
“I said to Ang to not hesitate to roll to the front as she’s got good speed.
“This was her first time past 1200 (metres).
“She’s a really nice mare that lost her way a little bit. She was originally in Sydney and had good metropolitan form in her previous campaign but she’s not the easiest horse to deal with.
“She’s had a few stables, but my partner has done an amazing job with her. She’s a bit of a ratbag but she’s sorted her out and slowed her down a bit, brought her back to the field.
“Ang has also done some work on her for us.
“I think she’s got room to move in her ratings and hopefully for the owners who bred her she can get a metro Saturday win for them.”
Wednesday’s win was the second at Ipswich in as many starts, and Dias believes it’s the right time of year for the Starspangledbanner by Invited mare to add more victories to her resume.
“She’s in at the right time of year with the lull between summer and winter,” Dais said.
“We’ve got a couple of months to pick our mark to win some prize money for the owners and boost her value as a broodmare.
“She’s a beautifully bred mare. Her mother is a full sister to Written Tycoon.
“She’s a talented mare that has a few chinks in her armour that if she put it all together, she can go places.”
It was an impressive win that took Miss Baltimore’s record to two victories from three starts since joining the Dais barn.
Miss Baltimore provided Jones with a winning double after she took luck out of the equation with a great ride to win on Glide On By earlier in the day in the SIRROMET Maiden Plate.
Controlocracy Continues Love Affair With Ipswich
The Annabel Neasham-trained Controlocracy won her third career race in Wednesday’s WWW.IEEC.COM.AU BENCHMARK 65 Handicap over 1100 metres.
The three-year-old is building a great record at Ipswich. In two prior starts at the track, she had finished a half-length second and won well the other start.
On Wednesday she jumped well but with the threat of finding himself three deep, jockey Brodie Loy elected to take a sit in fourth. Loy presented his mount at the top of the straight before the daughter of More Than Ready let down beautifully to score by 1.3 lengths.
Assistant Trainer Todd Pollard who looks after Neasham’s Eagle Farm stable was pleased that Controlocracy was able to defeat more seasoned horses and tick off a well-deserved midweek metropolitan win.
“It was a great effort, especially in this sixty-five bracket,” Pollard said.
“You’re up against horses that have won a few and seasoned campaigners so it was a little bit tricky.
“We knew with the favourite (Inasec) drawing wide with the rail out ten metres that we were a chance.
“It all mapped perfectly. We thought we’d be in behind the two emergencies with the speed and it fell in our favour I think.”
Pollard was unsure what Controlocracy’s future held preferring to focus on the fact the team had achieved their goal with their filly.
“I’m not sure where she’ll get to but it’s a great result for the owners to get a midweek metro win.
“That was the aim for her and a track like this was perfect after she won one here at Ipswich.
“I’m not sure where she’ll get to, but we’ll try to place her well and hopefully she can continue to go through the grades.
Loy’s ride on Controlocracy was another demonstration of the young hoop’s prowess in the saddle, particularly his ability to rate a horse.
Stars Align For Sibylla
A mare in form, a good gate and a top jockey were all factors that aligned in Wednesday’s OPEN EVENING 2 FEBRUARY Class 1 Handicap for a Sibylla victory according to Chris Waller’s Gold Coast foreman Brett Killion.
Sibylla was returning to Ipswich after winning at her only other previous start at the Bundamba circuit in November last year. Punters liked her chances in Wednesday’s 1710 metres contest with the Star Thoroughbreds-ownd three-year-old starting the $4 favourite.
Jockey Ryan Maloney settled the daughter of Divine Prophet in a great position midfield. The 2020/21 Queensland Metropolitan Jockey of the Year had a lapful of horse as he tracked up behind them turning for home. He got his mount to the outside on straightening and the filly did the rest, racing away for a 2.3 length win.
Killion pointed out that Maloney could not have ridden Sibylla better given the circumstances.
“I loved that pace that went on midrace,” Killion said.
“She got on the back of the favourite, tracked into it and got last crack at them.
“She’s in good form this mare and loves the middle-distance races.
“Barriers win races. You get a good barrier and you put the best jockeys on...you’re halfway there.”
Wednesday’s win was just a Class 1 but Killion believes Sibylla is capable of much bigger things.
“I don’t think a Saturday race is beyond her,” Killion said.
“She settles and I think 1800 or 2000 metres would be right up her alley.”
Horses To Follow
Race 1 – Sunday Mail is a gelding with undeniable ability. He went to the front and showed a slick turn of foot to win over 800 metres easily. However, the Lee Freedman-trained two-year-old has several issues that need to be sorted out if he is going to become a proper racehorse. He’s in the right stable for that to happen so he’s one to keep an eye on.
Glide On By, Controlocracy, Miss Baltimore and Sibylla have all been mentioned in this article and certainly warrant being followed.
By Craig Sheppard
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