Weekend Racing Recap – Saturday 30th May
Well once again it was business as usual for Chris Waller and James McDonald when they combined to win their third Group 1 Queensland Derby together when the Queensland carnival moved to Eagle Farm on Saturday. Not only did Chirs Waller produce the winner but he and the China Horse Club (Owners) completed the quinella in the blue-riband of Queensland racing.
The three-year-old son of the ill-fated Wootton Bassett (GB) in Providence, had put the writing on the board when making good late ground in the lead-up race the Rough Habit when steamed home into minor placing. The step out to the 2400m looked ideal for him at this stage as he had had plenty of racing leading in. James McDonald did not hesitate to get him moving before the corner and when he accelerated straightening he quickly put a space in his rivals and the race was put beyond doubt. He did start to tire late but Monopolistic ($6.50) had too much to do and ran into a brave second spot while Inspired Legend ($91) battled on well and held minor placing to put plenty of value into the exotics.
The win gave Chris Waller his 201st Group 1 victory while James McDonald equaled Malcolm Johnston’s record of 16 Group 1’s in a racing season. They have dominated this carnival and with the Stradbroke to come they may add another major to their already incredible couple of weeks.
The other Group 1 on the program in Queensland was the Charles Kingsford-Smith Cup and that was an exciting affair with horses fanning all over the track soon after straightening and it was hard to identify a winner at the 200m.
It took the ever consistent Joe Pride trained Headley Grange to weave a passage under the guidance of the underrated hoop Adam Hyeronimus last 100m to prove a bit too strong for the luckless Jimmysstar who had been heavily backed into favourite.
Jimmysstar ($3.80) was obliged to sit three wide without cover throughout the race and he was entitled to fad last 200m but he kept fighting tenaciously and only narrowly went down to the driving Headley Grange ($9) who had waited for the gap to open back inside runners and once the run came he drove through for well-deserved Group 1 win. Chris Waller/James McDonald this time had to settle for a Group 1 minor placing with the fast finishing Fangirl ($8.50) running into third spot late.
Next week sees the running of the time-honoured Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm and it has the prospect of being the race of the carnival.