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Meeting In Review – Wednesday 4 December 2024 New
Date: 05-Dec-2024
Ryan Maloney’s perfect day in the saddle highlighted Wednesday’s eight-race program.
The talented jockey came to Ipswich for just three rides and left with a winning hattrick.
Maloney teamed up with leading trainer Tony Gollan to record his first two wins, the first coming in the Red Bull Australia Class 1 Plate over 1350m with Grand Meteor.
The daughter of Deep Field jumped well but was going to be trapped four-deep on speed, so Maloney elected to drop in behind the leaders.
He tracked Grand Meteor’s stablemate To Wish all the way before his mount surged strongly in the final 100m to snatch the win by a nose.
Maloney and Gollan combined in the very next race with Sunlord to claim the Barrier Reef Pools Class 1 Plate.
The jockey known as ‘Pug’ elected to settle towards the tail after drawing the outside barrier in the field of eight.
Maloney made his move on the turn, threading a needle through the pack, before the advantage of previously racing over further kicked in and The Autumn Sun gelding was able to overpower his rivals late to win by just under a length.
Gollan’s two wins on the day reclaimed his lead in the Ipswich Trainers premiership and he now leads Matt Dunn nine wins to eight.
Maloney wrapped up his perfect day when he piloted favourite Thanks Henry to the winner’s stall in the Great Northern Class 2 Handicap.
It was a big win for the Tony Georgieff-trained gelding who produced a powerful finish to run down the regally bred I Am Caviar and salute by a neck.
That was the son of Kobayashi’s third win from five starts and confirmed that he is a horse going places.
Angela Jones continued her excellent season in the saddle with a winning double.
The first of Jones’ wins came in the Gordon’s Gin Benchmark 65 Handicap aboard Hokusai.
Jones hustled the Mark Currie-trained mare out of the gates to make full use of the good draw to lead the 800m scamper into the straight.
She rolled off the turn which allowed Diamond Lass to sneak up the inside, but she proved too strong late to get up by just over a length.
It took all of Jones’ strength to get Hard To Dismiss the win in the final race of the day.
After shooting clear half-way up the straight, Bonjour Rupert exploded out of the pack to mount a serious challenge, and the pair went across the line together.
Fortunately, Jones was able to get her mount’s head down on the line and secure the win.
Jones’ double took her to 10 wins for the season and maintained her lead in the 2024/25 Ipswich Jockey premiership which now stands at four.
2021/22 leading Ipswich jockey Sam Collett produced the ride of the day when she won aboard the Bruce Brown-trained Classique Gal.
The daughter of Heroic Valour drew the outside barrier in the field of 13 in the 1690m contest but that didn’t stop the 3x G1 winning jockey landing in the box seat third after just 500m.
Just prior to straightening, Collett got her mount off the fence and came around the leaders at the right time to let her let down powerfully and win by 1.1 lengths.
It was a 10 out 10 performance that reminded racegoers why she earned the ‘Queen of Ipswich’ title during the 2021/22 season.
Collett was denied a second winner earlier in the day when Kyle Wilson-Taylor got the best of Air We Go to fend off the popular kiwi’s ride Platinum Gift who charged late.
Former jumps jockey Luke Dempsey has enjoyed quick success since teaming up with the Barry Lockwood stable two months ago.
That continued Wednesday when he guided Lockwood’s Loch Awe to an easy win in the opening race as a $1.55 favourite.
Loch Awe was Dempsey’s only ride on the day so he will no doubt have fond memories of the Ipswich track.
Racing returns to Ipswich next Wednesday, the 11th of December.
By Craig Sheppard
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