Meeting In Review – Saturday 11 May 2024

Date: 13-May-2024

Jockeys Cody Collis and Jag Guthmann-Chester shared best on ground honours at Saturday’s Ipswich Turf Club meeting.

Eight races were run and won with the talented duo each helping themselves to a winning riding double.

Apprentice Collis claimed his first win for the day in the Imperial Racing Benchmark 70 Handicap over 1666m when he partnered This’llbetheone.

The Jack Bruce-trained gelding showed good speed out of the gates, taking advantage of the inside barrier and settling in the box seat.

Collis scraped the Dulux on the home turn to charge up the inside of leader Extraordinaire before sprinting strongly to win by three-quarters of a length.

Just as he did aboard This’llbetheone, Collis hugged the fence in the Eddies Community Event Fillies & Mares Benchmark 62 Handicap.

The 20-year-old hoop was a touch slow away on the Kris Lees-trained La Boqueria but hustled early to settle in a prominent position.

As they round straightened for home, Collis stuck to the inside and with the leader drifting out, he was able to sprint through the gap before holding off his rivals for a long neck win.

Collis came agonisingly close to riding a treble when he partnered Ready For Anything in the final event of the day.

Unfortunately for him, Jag Guthmann-Chester got the better of him with Invahir.

The Toby Edmonds-trained son of Invader was pressured in front but produced plenty under the urging of Guthmann-Chester to hold off the late challenge of Ready For Anything and hang on for a nose victory.

Earlier in the day, the Gold Coast-based jockey won his first race of the day with the Peter Robl-trained Spicy Legend in the Tridan Electrical Contractors Colts, Geldings & Entires Benchmark 62 Handicap.

The three-year-old son of Justify was having his first race in five months but showed no signs of ring rust.

He started in a hurry to lead for Guthmann-Chester who controlled the speed beautifully before going for home at the top of the straight.

While he tired late, the race had already been won thanks to a well-judged ride by the popular jockey.

Guthmann-Chester's double took him to 14 Ipswich wins for the season which took him to third on the premiership.

With a winning strike-rate of 24.56% and a return on investment of 59%, there is no doubting ‘Jag GC’ is the man for punters to follow at Ipswich.

Apprentice jockey Emily Lang has been on fire at Ipswich this season and moved to within one win of this year’s leading jockey, Jimmy Orman, when she won aboard Zatanna in the Seven News QTIS Two-Year-Old Maiden Plate.

The Jungle Cat filly started her career in fine style by blowing her rivals away by 6.68 lengths over the 800m scamper.

We’ve been blessed with some fine performances by the young riders this season and there may be none better than what Jai Williams produced on Kissed By Evie in the 1350m Maiden Handicap.

The Glenn Thornton-trained three-year-old filly enjoyed a soft run, but it was the work of Williams as heads turned for home that was pure poetry.

He looked to get to the outside but realised he would end up extremely wide, so he pulled back to the inside before firing up along the fence and punching his mount out hands and heels to win by just under a length.

Class prevailed in the opening race on the program when the blue-haired Boris Thornton piloted The Irish to a commanding 4.77 length win over 2150m.

Dale Smith found himself back in the winner’s circle when he teamed up with Gold Coast trainer Ryan Tyrell to win the 1350m Open Handicap.

We’ve had plenty of racing at Ipswich recently and it continues this Wednesday when we will host a metropolitan midweek card.

By Craig Sheppard

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