Weekend Racing Recap
The ladies took centre stage for Group 1 racing this weekend, when fillies and mares lined up in the $700K Tattersall’s Tiara for the final Group 1 of ythe Queensland winter carnival over the testing 1400m at Eagle Farm. Besides the Group 1 feature, there was six black-type races on the program offering the lesser names a chance in better class races.
As is usual with the fillies and mares Classic, the field was very even and punters had a tough job determining who would start favourite before post-time. They settled on the Michael Freedman trained Manaal ($4.60) who had been a little stiff in the Moreton Cup first-up when she copped a late squeeze but still finshed just over a length off Uncommon James. She has a wonderful second-up record and was already a Group 1 winner this track and distance.
Eagle Farm was in pristine condition although some rain during the week saw the track race as a Soft (6) throughout the day and by Race 8 the track had seen plenty of traffic and riders had to make decisions whether to come away from the fence for percieved better ground or stick close to the fence in the straight and save vital ground. The Grahame Begg trained Splash Back had been an eye-catcher from the back on the heavy ground in the Stradbroke Handicap at her previous start and the stable sent her into the Tiara full of confidence back to her own sex. She was not the best away and Jordan Childs was forced to settle back in the second half early in an awkward position with a wall of horses in front. The pace up front was a bit muddling with Poster Girl controlling the race at her own pace and many of the ladies wanted to overrace a touch early. The favourite Manaal looked to get a nice run just off the speed, but she too needed an ounce of liuck from the corner to get some clear room.
On the corner Childs had no real choice but to stick back inside and save vital ground on Splash Back and wait for the runs to come, and as leaders started to roll away from the fence and look for the better ground, Splash Back drove through in clear air anbd under the urgings of her rider relished the inside ground and when she took over at the 150m she put the race beyond doubt and dashed away for a decisive rail hugging Group 1 victory. The French bred mare Splash Back ($8.50) beat the ultra consistent Savagery Vib ($21) by a length and a quarter with Gerringong ($5) grinding away late and grabbing a minor plaicing down the middle of the track.
The Group 3 Tattersall’s Cup say only 6 starters line up for the 2400m in the Soft ground. It turned into a bit of a slog from before the corner and the fitness of the Chris Waller trained Asterix ($4.20) came to the fore when he came from the back and finished all over tiring leaders last 200m to give Waller another victory over the Carnival. Ridden by Tim Clark, the gelding just bided his time out the back before peeling to middle track from the corner and proving the superior stayer ovver the final stages beating Pounding ($3.70), who also came from the back with a gallant Etna Rossa ($7.50) filling the minor placing.
The final race of the Carnival was the Group 3 W.J.Healy Stakes (1200m) and it was a difficult race for punters as the well backed, enigmatic Payline started a $6.00 favourite. The local trainers were looking to finish the program with another winner and they did not let their supporters down with the popular Yellow Brick ($8) weaving a passage back inside and finishing too well for the Tony and Maddysan Sears stable denying Payline ($6) a win with Pereille ($10) finishing in the placings giving the local trainers (Sears, Munce, Gollan) the trifecta to end another outstanding Queensland winter carnival.