By Casey O'Connor
Following the heavy rain last weekend the Warwick Turf Club in consultation with Racing Queensland postponed the scheduled Tuesday TAB meeting until this Thursday 18 June.
The eight race programme will go ahead as previously advertised with unchanged fields and unchanged race times and it is anticipated the track will be a soft seven.
These uncertain times have seen a heightened level of cooperation in a variety of sporting fixtures and racing is no exception.
Following last weekend’s rain the Toowoomba meeting set down for Sunday had to be rescheduled. Toowoomba picked up the Tuesday meeting set down for Warwick allowing the Allman Park track a few extra days to recover from the weekend downpour.
Thursday’s meeting will go ahead without on course punters and spectators but a return to the track for punters is not far off as Racing Queensland prepare to slowly open racing up to the public.
The eight race program has again been well supported by visiting and local trainers with strong nominations and acceptances. There is sure to be a great deal of interest in the opening race A QTIS 2 year old maiden over 800m. 12 of the 19 runners will be having their first race start.
A LOOK AT THE FORM…
Six of the runners are locally trained. Les Clarke will saddle up two runners, Peta Calada and Sheza Nuisance; both first starters. Sam’s Natural will also be gracing the track for his first start for local trainer Jack Brown and connections.
Another locally trained galloper Kicks Both Feet has had three previous starts.
While punters will be relying on the market as a guide in this race there are a couple of runners which will be closely watched.
The Toowoomba trained topweight Black Bean looks to have the best credentials with a second and fourth at his two starts but has not raced since February.
There will be eyes on the Brisbane visitor Tan Dinh from the Chris Munce Stable. The filly by Better Than Ready is out of an Exceed and Excel mare, Rebel Excel. Race Two is the XXXX Maiden Handicap also over the 800metre journey has also attracted a good field. An early scratching in this race is the topweight, Aonach Mor. Warwick trainer Garry Osborne has the three year old fill Seibhur and will be hoping for she can break through for a win. The filly who will be ridden by Minehiko Shimodaira is returning from a spell but was placed on the track back in July 2019 at only her second start. Special Flight rates well here.
Ten horses have accepted for the Class 4 XXXX handicap over the 1200m journey. Abb Roy another local runner steps out in this for the Michael Hemmings stable. The mare finished second at her most recent start in, Toowoomba after failing to flatter at the start before on his home track. She has some form on soft tracks and could be hard to beat.
Another big field looks set to face the starter in the fourth event the TopX Warwick QTIS Maiden over the 1100 metre journey.
Mail Train Maid is owned and bred by the Harvey family on the Granite Belt. The three year old filly from the Sears stable in Toowoomba will ridden by Nozi Tomizawa and is having only her second race start after finishing down the track in an 800 metre Maiden in May. Brisbane visitor The Power of One may be hard to beat if he handles the Warwick track.
Very few of the 21 runners nominated have form on a soft track and the market maybe the punters friend here.
Chris Munce saddles up the second of his three runners in race five the 1500m Smith Farms Killarney Falls Maiden, Dreamace. The three year old is yet to flatter after seven race starts. Oakfield Tickets who has been racing in provincial company in NSW has had a change of stable since running second in a mile race on a soft track at Taree and should appreciate the conditions. Local galloper Minj A Star is one of the emergencies in a big field and will have to rely on scratchings to secure a start.
There are two Warwick trained gallopers in the 1500m Class One at set weights however both the Kellie Monckton trained Ethanol Girl and Scott Barker’s Tycoon Girl are both emergencies. Punters who invest in the top weight Addocarr will be hoping he shows the same speed as his namesake Melbourne Storm flyer the Fox. He has fair form on soft tracks and should be right in this race.
Race seven is the Killarney Co-op Benchmark 52 over the 1100m journey. Shane Barker has accepted with two runners, Your Option and emergency Shadwell Flyer. Chris Munce will step out the well credentialed Twerk who has had one previous start on the Warwick track. At his last start finished fourth at Toowoomba and will be well in the market here.
After a very full day’s racing the meeting wraps up with the running of the Killarney Top Shop Ratings Band 0 Benchmark 55 Handicap over the 1350m journey.
Texas trainer Rod Hilton has Primmiscuous in the final event and will be well in the market. Locally trained Miss Makepeace will be looking to improve on her second place on the track back on May 27 while two other Warwick gallopers Miss Makepeace and Gets Smokin are among the emergencies in another big field.
With good prizemoney on offer the meeting has attracted many horses from the Gold Coast Sunshine Coast Brisbane and Toowoomba as well as country gallopers. The good nominations have created a bit of a headache for the Race club. With excellent nomination numbers (140) comes an increased requirement for tie up stalls and with only 74 available at present the club is exploring options to increase the number of stalls in the future.
The Committee will be hoping for fine conditions to further improve the track conditions.
