Meeting In Review 26 November 2022

Date: 28-Nov-2022

The Ipswich Turf Club hosted a seven-race card on Saturday. Saturday racing is a rare occurrence at ‘The ‘Swich’ but when it happens the locals get behind it.

While the main Queensland racing action was taking place on the Gold Coast, Ipswich’s meeting also had a fair bit going on. There were a number of riding and training doubles, an unusual winning triple and even some loose dogs that wanted to get amongst it.

Fradd’s Early Double

Robbie Fradd couldn’t have hoped for a better way to start Saturday’s Ipswich meeting.

The multiple Group 1 winning jockey won the first two races on the day kicking off with the @IPSWICHTURFCLUB Maiden Handicap over 2150 metres.

Fradd found the front aboard the Kris Lees-trained La Brea as they went past the judge for the first time. The veteran hoop opened up a two-length lead before he was joined by race favourite Eureka’s Victory with about 700 metres to go.

The two big guns in the betting settled down for a ding dong battle as they cleared out from the rest of the field. However, in the final stages, La Brea pulled clear to win by two-lengths.

It was a strong win and the four-year-old mare’s first in ten starts.

Fradd didn’t waste any time registering his second win for the day. It came in the very next race, the WILPAK CHRISTMAS CIRCUS Maiden Handicap.

While the South African-born Fradd was expected to win on the raging $1.22 favourite Aquarius, it didn’t come as easily as the prohibitive odds suggested.

The Matthew Dunn-trained daughter of Headwater settled nicely in fourth just behind the leaders in the 1100 metres contest. Fradd fired his mount up on turning before coming wide as they entered the straight.

Aquarius was flat to the board as he came with a strong run down the centre of the track. He looked in danger of not picking up Perfect Legacy but dug deep to lunge on the line and win the race in a photo.

While Aquarius claimed the victory, he gave his supporters a heart attack in the process as pointed out by racecaller Terry Spargo.

Fradd’s two wins took him to seven at Ipswich this season and placed him equal third on the premiership.

Murwillumbah Trainer Helps Himself To Two Wins

The Murwillumbah-based stable of Matthew Dunn is regularly represented at Ipswich meetings.

They brought a team of two on Saturday. The four hour round trip was certainly worth it with both horses collecting the chocolates.

As we previously mentioned, Aquarius was Dunn’s first winner for the day.

The stable then put the saddle on Shanjomi in race 4, the JOHN PEDERSON MEMORIAL Class 4 Handicap.

The five-year-old mare was well supported, backed in from $2.40 to $1.95 when the gates finally crashed back.. We will get to why there was a delay later.

With Taylor Marshall in the saddle, Shanjomi mustered speed quickly to lead the 1200 metres contest. The daughter of Dream Ahead straightened in front and dashed clear to win by just under a length.

It was Shanjomi’s fifth career victory and the second time she has won after finishing last at her previous start. Quite the turnaround in form.

A Matthew Dunn Training Treble?

Those glancing through the results on Sunday morning will think this scribe has a problem with counting.

That’s because Matthew Dunn appears three times as a winning trainer in Saturday’s Ipswich results.

However, it’s not the same Matthew Dunn. Beaudesert horseman, Matthew John Dunn and not the Murwillumbah variety Dunn trained, Silver Galaxy, the winner of race 5, the BLK AUTO BENCHMARK 58 Handicap.

Jockey Ryan Wiggins got the grey gelding going quickly as they left the gates in the 1200 metres race to take up the running. Silver Galaxy was joined briefly on the turn by Formula Excel but quickly burned that horse off as they straightened.

Silver Galaxy burst clear at the top of the straight to charge away for a two-length win.

It was an emphatic victory that took the Domesday four-year-old’s record to two wins from five starts.

Apprentice Claims Her Own Winning Double

One win is nice, but two is better.

That was the thinking of apprentice jockey Yvette Lewis at Ipswich on Saturday.

The 3 kg claimer’s first win of the day came in the CARINA JUNIOR RUGBY LEAGUE BENCHMARK 62 Handicap aboard Orsetto.

Orsetto, trained locally by Brian Costello, was coming off a last start over the Ipswich 800 metres scamper. The six-year-old is somewhat of a specialist over the short course.

While Orsetto jumped well, he couldn’t quite go with them early so Lewis settled just off the leaders. Just as the leading pair looked to skip clear, Orsetto let down beautifully mid-straight to charge past them and record a narrow win over Dream Weaving.

It took until the final race of the day, the TAB RATINGS BAND 0 - 58 Handicap for Lewis to bring up her second win for the day.

Lewis teamed up with the Greg Cornish-trained Golden Soul.

From the nice draw, Lewis was able to allow her mount to get in his rhythm and settle fifth in the run. When others fanned wide straightening, Lewis saved ground by sticking to the fence. She peeled off the leader’s back before striding clear to win easily by 1.8 lengths and defy a betting drift.

Lewis’ two wins took her to equal second and just win before Angela Jones on the Ipswich Apprentice Jockey premiership.

Congratulations Caitlin Johnstone

Saturday’s CARINA JUNIOR RUGBY LEAGUE BENCHMARK 62 Handicap provided a big thrill for Caitlin Johnstone.

The Jandowae conditioner is a newcomer to the training ranks. In fact she is so new Sheezasinga was her very first runner in today’s scamper.

Unfortunately Caitlin didn’t get the win but her horse gave a sight, leading until a furlong to go and clinging on for third.

Caitlin’s first visit to the winner’s stall hopefully won’t be too far away.

Who Let The Dogs Out?

The start of race 4 was scheduled to start at 2:48 pm. As we all know, a myriad of reasons can cause a race to not start on time.

Broken gear, horses needing to be replated, no ambulance on track…the list goes on.

However, very rarely has a race been delayed because dogs are loose in the middle of the track!

That was the case for race 4 where they didn’t jump for well over five minutes past the scheduled time because the playful pooches were unable to be caught.

Eventually the hounds were led away with their tails between their legs and Shanjomi was able to go about the business of winning.

By Craig Sheppard

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