The changing face of Brisbane racing was on display last Saturday.
Interstate trainers won half the races at Eagle Farm. Kris Lees trained a double, while the Snowdens, Will and Richard Freedman and the Ryan-Alexiou combination all trained a winner.
Throw in the Waller camp and Godolphin, who now have a permanent presence at Eagle Farm, and it’s an entirely different picture in metropolitan Brisbane racing.
The racing gods were smiling on Eagle Farm Saturday when the Lucky Pippos-owned Substantial took out “The Farewell Barry Baldwin Handicap”. Lucky of course is a long-term owner and great mate of Barry’s.
The Brisbane Racing Club put on a special day to mark Barry Baldwin’s retirement from training late last year. Many clients, old friends and members of the racing fraternity joined Barry and his wife Margaret on course to celebrate his 58 years as a trainer.
Interesting move to switch last Sunday’s Sunshine Coast meeting to Ipswich. They were trying to protect the track for their big 27 January standalone Saturday meeting. It says two things, both the Gold and Sunshine Coasts have copped feet of rain this summer, and there is a genuine limit to the workhorse role the Caloundra track has played the last decade. Good move by all concerned.
Carleen Heffel has outridden her apprenticeship riding claim. I watched lot of the top female apprentices over the years, but this lady has got what it takes to make the next step to a top flight senior jockey. Tough, smart and very consistent – and Peter Moody highly rates her.
In the final of the ‘well I’ll be stuffed’ competition, and its only January. Last Sunday at Nowra these four jockeys all won a race – Pierre Boudvillane, Jean Van Overmeire, Angus Villers and Heavelon Van Der Hoven. They rode five of the seven winners.
It is never a surprise to see horses respond to the light hands of the female jockeys. Visiting French jockey Mickaelle Miche getting her first victory in Australia getting Southern Fire over the line at Flemington. A $57 winner, not bad!
CEO of Bet365 in the UK earned a staggering 469 million pounds in a single year. In part it was 48 million pounds in dividends. I do not believe that anyone in the world is worth that much money, but what does this say about the punting industry is the big question.
Paddy noticed that Mick had two black shiners when he met him in the local for a pint or two. “Gees Mick” what happened to yer?”. “Well,” said Mick, “the other half was clearing out her closet and getting rid of clothes, you know”. “Yer” said Paddy. “Well,” said Mick, “she said she was taking them to Vinnies a few mile away, and I suggested that was a big effort and she should just drop em all in the waste”. “Yer” said Paddy. “She said that there was a lot of homeless people out there that had nothing to wear and nothing to eat”. “Yer,” said Paddy. “Well I mentioned that the size of her clothes would not be of use to anyone under fed”.
