Foster Not Ruling Out Interstate Trip

Friday, 12 August 2011 04:15

Gold Coast trainer Simon Foster hasn't ruled out an interstate trip for Trusted Partner if the former north Queensland sprinter returns to winning form at Eagle Farm.

Trusted Partner, a Larry Cassidy mount, is back following a seven-week layoff in Saturday's UMS Uniforms Management Services Handicap (1000m).

The six-year-old was ridden by Melbourne's Dwayne Dunn when he scored a stunning victory at his Brisbane debut in the Listed Lightning Handicap (1000m) at Eagle Farm on June 11 before fading to finish seventh to Pinwheel in the Group Three Healy Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm two weeks later.

Foster wasn't disappointed with Trusted Partner's Healy Stakes performance.

"The form out of the Healy is pretty good and Dwayne said he held him up too much trying to get him to run the 1200 metres," Foster said.

"His colours certainly weren't lowered when beaten only four and a half lengths by a good horse like Pinwheel.

"I was going to run him in the Ramornie but we felt he hadn't quite reached that level yet."

Foster has six horses in work and another 12 babies getting ready for the start of the two-year-old season in October.

The 39-year-old has only been training since March last year and will be guided by Trusted Partner's performance whether to send him interstate or wait for the Listed Bat Out Of Hell (900m) at the Gold Coast early next year.

"I'll probably keep him to races around 1000 metres and the Bat Out Of Hell looks a good race for him in the New Year," Foster said.

"But there's a nice race for him at Flemington on Oaks day which would be right up his alley.

"If not there's a chance he might even go to Sydney next month for a Listed race."

The Listed Swisse Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on November 3 and the Listed Heritage Stakes (1100m) at Randwick on September 17 are the two interstate races under consideration for Trusted Partner.

Foster is confident Trusted Partner will prove competitive but would have preferred a better barrier than six.

"The horse is good but I would have preferred to draw inside Monashee Dancer who loves this trip," he said.

Trusted Partner has had a history of leg problems during his career but Foster has successfully managed him with beach work sessions.

"He started off being trained in Brisbane but then went to north Queensland and ran second in the Cleveland Bay last year," Foster said.

"He went to Melbourne but he didn't handle the direction down there so his owners ended up bringing him back for another crack here."

The son of Untouchable was trained in Melbourne by Ray Besanko before being transferred to Foster after finishing last at Moonee Valley in December.

Smith Eyes Sydney With Raeburn

Wednesday, 10 August 2011 05:59

A lack of suitable staying races could force an early departure to Sydney for Queensland Cup placegetter Raeburn.

Raeburn has not raced for over a month since his gritty third to Tinseltown in the Listed Queensland Cup (3200m) on July 9 and will be on trial for an interstate trip in Saturday's St Margaret's Anglican Girls School Handicap (1820m) at Eagle Farm.

Trainer Brian Smith hopes to start Raeburn and stablemate Hume in the Group Three Newcastle Cup (2300m) on September 15 and possibly the Group One Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick in October.

Smith won the Newcastle Cup in 2006 with Bikkie Tin Blues and is keen to repeat the feat with either Hume or Raeburn.

However, he has become frustrated with the programming of staying races in Brisbane and could be forced to send the pair south earlier than planned.

"There's no open company staying races around for Raeburn before the end of the month and that's too late for him," Smith said.

"Saturday's race is a Benchmark 85 race. They are a good idea but they don't cater for staying horses looking to go south at this time of the year.

"It's a very hard time of the year trying to get a horse ready for the spring."

Smith has engaged claiming apprentice Ben Looker for Raeburn to offset his topweight of 59.5 kilograms.

"Scott Galloway rode him in the Queensland Cup but with 59.5 kilos I've had to claim on him," Smith said.

"Scott is out anyway after breaking his foot when a horse fell on him at the Gold Coast barrier trials a few weeks ago."

Smith has reservations whether Raeburn can make a successful return but is confident the seven-year-old can be competitive.

"He's had an easy time since the Queensland Cup and I'll make up my mind after Saturday whether I send him down for the Newcastle Cup with Hume," he said.

"Hume is in the same boat as there's nothing around for him here either."

Hume, a son of Zabeel, pleased Smith when a courageous fourth to LakeGeorge in a 1630-metre Open Handicap at Doomben last Saturday.

"It was a solid run considering he was caught three wide most of the way," he said.

"If he was in this race on Saturday he would have got 70 kilos."

Hume has started five times this campaign after a long break through injury.

The gelding suffered a serious tendon injury which almost ended his career after finishing fifth in the Group Three Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2500m) at Flemington in November 2009.

He spent almost 20 months recuperating from the leg injury before making his comeback during the recent Brisbane winter carnival.

Hansen May Quit Qld If He Loses Appeals

Thursday, 11 August 2011 07:15

Trainer Darryl Hansen has threatened to quit training in Queensland if he loses an appeal against a six-month disqualification and $10,000 fine imposed by Racing Queensland stewards following two positive swab inquiries.

Hansen was disqualified for six months when an inquiry resumed on Thursday to consider a penalty for the Caloundra trainer after he was found guilty of presenting Hussonator with an elevated level of TCO2 (bicarb) prior to the mare's win in the Mackay Cup on July 9.

In a separate inquiry, Hansen was fined $10,000 after Essington returned a positive swab following his Newmarket Handicap win at Rockhampton, from which the five-year-old has now been disqualified, on June 23.

Racing Queensland stewards found Hansen guilty of presenting Essington at the Rockhampton meeting with the prohibitive substance Prednisone, a corticosteroid used to treat inflammation diseases, in his system.

Prednisone is normally administered orally or by injection.

"I am not guilty and I will be appealing both penalties," Hansen said.

"If I don't win on appeal then Queensland racing has lost another trainer.

"I won't be training in Queensland again when I come back if I lose these appeals.

"This will destroy me and my family and all my employees."

Hansen said he was still dumbfounded to be charged over Hussonator's win in the Mackay Cup.

"They (stewards) have charged and found me guilty when only one sample was over the threshold and the other sample was below the threshold," he said.

"I don't think I had a case to answer.

"Then I was walloped with a $10,000 fine when there's been only three previous convictions for similar offences and the previous biggest fine was $6,000.

"It's a joke. I'm appealing both sentences as I'm not guilty and haven't done anything to my horses."

Doug Bougoure Dead At 88

Wednesday, 10 August 2011 02:59

The Queensland racing industry is in mourning following the death of one of its former great trainers, Doug Bougoure.

Bougoure, 88, died in his sleep on Tuesday.

He was born on October 24, 1922 in Warwick in southeast Queensland and moved to Toowoomba as a 15-year-old to become a jockey.

As a rider, Bougoure enjoyed great success in the late 1940s with star galloper Sefiona.

During the war years, Doug joined his brother's regiment in the Australian Army and served in New Guinea in 1941.

He married local girl June Wildermuth in 1952 and had two children, Danny and Elizabeth.

Danny Bougoure also became a successful trainer, winning successive Group One Doomben 10,000s with star sprinter Falvelon in 2001/02.

One of 10 children, Doug Bougoure became a leading trainer in Brisbane and was always able to produce a top horse from only a small team.

His best galloper was champion Strawberry Road before he was sold and transferred to Sydney trainer John Nicholls who sent the colt to France to take on the world's best in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Strawberry Road finished a gallant fifth in the Longchamp feature.

He was named the Queensland Horse of the Year for 1982/83, Australian Horse of the Year in 1983, Champion Older Horse in Germany in 1984, represented the United States in the 1984 Japan Cup and later went on to become a successful sire.

Bougoure wasn't just a one-horse trainer and also prepared top galloper Tingo Tango, winner of the 1985 Group One Flight Stakes at Randwick.

He also trained Earlmark, who won the BTC Labour Day Cup, Moreton Handicap and Exhibition Handicaps, Smart Alex (Queensland Cup), Gypsy Rogue (Tourist Minister's Cup) and Full Scope (Meynink Stakes).

Bougoure, who retired as a trainer in 1998 at age 75, is survived by June, son Danny and daughter Liz Worth and three grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are yet to be finalised.

Stanton Aims To Get First Brisbane Winner

Thursday, 11 August 2011 05:45

A decision to scale down and move to Queensland will reap its reward for former Victorian trainer John Stanton if veteran stayer Molotov is successful at Eagle Farm.

Molotov, one of only three horses in work for Deagon-based Stanton, will be ridden by Stradbroke Handicap-winning jockey Jason Taylor in Saturday's St Margaret's Anglican Girls School Handicap (1820m).

Stanton, 67, made the decision to move to Queensland just prior to the Brisbane winter carnival after training for more than 30 years in Victoria.

"I started off working as a foreman for eleven years with Geoff Murphy and he gave me my start in racing," Stanton said.

"When Geoff started to scale down he gave me boxes he had at Mornington for two years rent-free.

"Geoff was the first trainer to have a pre-trainer in those days and I used to do it for him."

Molotov was the first horse Stanton started when he came to Queensland.

"I came here at the start of the winter carnival and won the Gatton Cup with Molotov," Stanton said.

"I took him north for the Townsville Cup but I had to leave him there with Garry Dickson when I had to come home for a hip operation.

"Garry did a good job in the two runs he had up there with him."

Stanton believed Molotov was unlucky when the gelding finished fourth to Hussonator in the Townsville Cup (2100m) on July 23.

"He missed the start and then had to cover a lot of ground when he was caught wide," he said.

"He managed to get his head in front at the 100-metre mark and only just got beaten by about two lengths."

Stanton, who wants to maintain a small team in work for a select band of clients, has never had a metropolitan winner in Brisbane.

He rated his best horse as former jumper Bula Naitasi, who was equally as good on the flat.

"Bula Naitasi has been my best horse so far," he said.

"He won the Tooheys Tran Tasman hurdle race at Canterbury (in 1991) and he also ran third in a jumps race they held at Eagle Farm that year.

"All up he won almost $200,000 in prizemoney and that was when it was hard to get in those days."

"Bula Naitasi was also pretty handy on the flat. He won two Marwong Cups at Bendigo."

Stanton's only previous Queensland winner was Gatemaster who was successful at Caloundra in September 1991.

He rates Molotov a strong chance but would have preferred a better barrier than 13.

"His alley isn't perfect but with any luck he'll being weighing in," Stanton said.

"He's a good old horse and is very sound and he doesn't know he's ten."

Gollan To Open Up Brisbane Stable

Tuesday, 09 August 2011 05:59

Toowoomba trainer Tony Gollan is planning to expand his training base with a move to Brisbane early next year.

Gollan, 32, currently rents 38 boxes at the Bahram Stud training facility at Westbrook outside Toowoomba and has applied for 30 boxes on-course at Eagle Farm.

Gollan has been keen for a number of years to move to a capital city to train and hasn't ruled out a further expansion at some point in the future.

"I've always wanted to train in either Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne but you've got to do things in stages," Gollan said.

"I'm very keen to relocate to Brisbane but eventually I'd love to train in Melbourne.

"Any young trainer in Queensland aspires to do what Peter Moody has done.

"It wasn't that long ago Peter Moody was training at Eagle Farm and since he moved to Melbourne he's become the leading Group One trainer in the country.

"I'd love to emulate Moody's feat. It would be mind-boggling."

Brisbane Racing Club chairman Kevin Dixon said Eagle Farm currently had 240 on-course stables and work would commence shortly for an additional 70.

"We're doing a number of projects at the moment and the additional stables are just one of them," Dixon said.

Gollan is keen to take almost half of the new stables while the remainder are expected to be shared between premier trainer Rob Heathcote, Kelso Wood and Brian Wakefield.

Gollan scored the biggest win of his career since he started training as a 20-year-old when Temple Of Boom won the Group Three Aurie's Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday.

His father Darryl also trains at Bahram Stud and will be in charge of his son's Toowoomba operation when the Eagle Farm base is opened.

"At the moment Dad does a lot of pre-training for me as well as looking after his own horses," Gollan said.

"We spend a lot of time travelling and we don't have a grass training track in Toowoomba.

"I'm a grass trainer and I want to be competitive so I'm planning to work hard for the next two or three years to see where it takes me."

Temple Of Boom will soon be joined in Melbourne by stablemates Spirit Of Boom and Listen Son who are close to returning for the spring carnival.

Availability On Trial For Melbourne

Thursday, 11 August 2011 04:15

Availability will need to maintain his unbeaten record to convince premier trainer Rob Heathcote he is worthy of joining his team in Melbourne this spring.

Heathcote rated Availability a "serious racehorse" following his brilliant debut win at Doomben last month but the acid test will come in Saturday's Programmed Maintenance Services Handicap (1000m) at Eagle Farm.

"This is his test. He's a good horse and he won his maiden very well but the horse he beat (Diet) was beaten easily at Doomben yesterday," Heathcote said.

"That concerns me a little and it could be significant."

Heathcote was in raptures after Availability easily won his 1110m maiden by two lengths and broke the class record with a slashing time of 1:4.3.

The son of Exceed And Excel also broke 34 seconds for his final 600-metre sectional.

"It's always a big ask for any horse to win on debut and he did it quite well," Heathcote said.

"But this is a lot harder race. He's up against horses like Aquatorial, who is proven in the city on a Saturday, and a promising horse in Excapishe.

"It's up in the air at the moment whether I'll send him to Melbourne with the others but if he goes well enough I'll seriously consider it.

"If he wins like a good horse again he may deserve a trip away."

Heathcote has great respect for his two main rivals, particularly Aquatorial who will be chasing a hat-trick of wins following his recent victories at Toowoomba and Doomben.

Aquatorial won on debut by more than seven lengths at Toowoomba in February but inexperience cost him when he came to Brisbane where he was placed at his next three starts.

Trainer Ron Macrae believes Aquatorial is a much more mature horse this campaign, having beaten older horses first-up at Toowoomba on July 5 prior to his latest Doomben victory.

A $50,000 purchase at the Magic Millions sales, Aquatorial is being aimed at the $1 million Magic Millions Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast in January.

Aquatorial is a half-brother to Macrae's former top two-year-old, the ill-fated Bonza Crop who had to be euthanased following a fall at Eagle Farm four years ago.

Several offers have been made to buy Aquatorial but Macrae is a part-owner along with Toowoomba octogenarians Todd and Val Robinson and two Sydney doctors and connections have put up the "not for sale" sign.

Risk Aversion To Chase Family Tradition

Tuesday, 09 August 2011 04:15

Lightly-raced mare Risk Aversion will be given the opportunity to chase a family tradition if she satisfactorily passes her first-up assignment at Doomben.

Risk Aversion, a Chris Munce mount in Wednesday's Hidden Dragon @ Lyndhurst Handicap (1030m), has been restricted to just two starts in her career because of a leg injury.

Trainer Michael Lakey believes Risk Aversion may have suffered the ligament problem while she was being broken in as a yearling before she entered his Deagon stables.

The daughter of Encosta De Lago, who is a half-sister to Group One placegetter Shania Dane and triple Group One Hong Kong winner Scintillation, showed she had a bright future when she easily won her maiden over 1200 metres at Eagle Farm on April 13.

"She had a small ligament problem in her first preparation when she was trained in Sydney," Lakey said.

"It could have happened when she was broken in and it was serious enough for her to have a six-month spell before she raced.

"After she won her maiden I gave her an eight-week spell and she's been in work about nine weeks now and has trialled once."

Lakey has spent many mornings exercising Risk Aversion with long walks and taking her to the beach to prepare her for her comeback.

"She had a bit of a temperament problem as well when she used to sweat up badly on the float taking her to the races," he said.

"But since we've been taking her to the beach she seems a lot more settled."

Lakey's major concern with Risk Aversion making a successful comeback is a steep class rise and the journey.

"It's a big jump in class from a maiden to a class four," he said.

"The trip also might be a shade short for her over 1000 metres. I'd be more confident if it was 1200 metres."

Lakey's aim with Risk Aversion is to follow the four-year-old's family tradition to achieve black type for her owner, Gold Coast businessman John Hutchins.

Hutchins and his wife Fumei are best known as the owners of recently-retired star Typhoon Tracy.

"If she races well enough this campaign the aim we've got with her is to get some black type," Lakey said.

"There's some nice Listed races for fillies and mares coming up for her later in the year."

Coolmore Ultimate Prize For Risk Aversion

Wednesday, 10 August 2011 06:45

Talented mare Risk Aversion will be given the chance to follow a family tradition at Group One level following her brilliant comeback win at Doomben.

Risk Aversion, having only her third start and her first since mid-April, powered home from last to edge out Pointe Dancer by a neck in Wednesday's Hidden Dragon @ Lyndhurst Handicap (1030m).

Trainer Michael Lakey and owner John Hutchins praised Chris Munce following the jockey's perfectly-judged ride on the four-year-old.

"It was an 11 out of 10 ride," Hutchins, a Gold Coast businessman who owns former star Typhoon Tracy, said.

The Peter Moody-trained Typhoon Tracy was recently retired after six Group One wins in a stellar career which yielded 11 wins and five placings from 20 starts with career earnings of $2.4 million.

She will be covered by Street Cry next month.

Munce was last on the home turn on Risk Aversion before he angled the daughter of Encosta De Lago into the clear through a needle-eye opening halfway down the straight.

Risk Aversion is a half-sister to Group One placegetter Shania Dane and Hong Kong triple Group One winner Scintillation.

Hutchins is particularly keen to emulate Typhoon Tracy's victory in the Group One Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill in 2009 during next year's Sydney autumn carnival with Risk Aversion.

"Our aim is to get some black type for her and there's some suitable fillies and mares races coming up here later in the year," Hutchins said.

"Getting black type is our first objective but I doubt you'll see her run in the south this spring.

"The Coolmore Classic is the race we're after long-term.

"I doubt they'll be running More Joyous in the Coolmore if she's up and running by then as she'd probably get too much weight."

Hutchins bought Risk Aversion's mother Subterfuge three years ago and also has a Fastnet Rock filly from her.

"I paid a bit of money for her mother when she was in foal with Risk Aversion," he said.

"It's a big effort to win like she did at Doomben when she had to come from last on the home turn."

Lakey admitted he had grave concerns on the home turn as to whether Munce could angle her into the clear when caught up on the fence behind a wall of horses.

"I was very nervous on the home turn but the race was run to suit a backmarker like her," he said.

Lakey has spent many mornings exercising Risk Aversion with long walks and taking her to the beach to prepare her for her comeback.

His biggest fear before the race was whether she could make the giant leap to a Class 4 after winning in maiden class in April but she did it well in the end.

Frozone To Chase Wyong Cup

Sunday, 07 August 2011 05:15

Trainer Alan Bailey and jockey Glen Colless could be back on the country Cups campaign with gutsy stayer Frozone.

Bailey's worst fears with Frozone were realised when the gelding went down by a nose to Lake George in the Next Byte Open Handicap (1630m) at Doomben on Saturday.

Bailey had grave reservations before the race that Frozone could notch up win number eight after the stayer was asked to carry equal topweight of 58 kilograms.

"I can't be disappointed with the run. He only got beaten a nose," Bailey said.

"It was just the big weight that told in the end.

"Wait until you see him down in the weights around 55 kilos, that's when he'll shine."

Bailey and Colless won the Coffs Harbour Cup last week with Brave The Way and will return interstate for the Listed Wyong Gold Cup (2100m) on September 2 with Frozone.

The Group Three Newcastle Cup (2300m) on September 14 and Group One Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on October 1 also could be on Frozone's agenda.

"I'll wait and see about the other races but he'll probably start off down there at Wyong," Bailey said.

Meanwhile premier trainer Rob Heathcote landed a winning double on the first Saturday of the new racing season with Solzhenitsyn and Tomboy.

Heathcote has decided against adding the pair to his Melbourne spring team and both will head to the paddock this week.

Heathcote is keen to target the Doomben summer series with Solzhenitsyn following the gelding's neck win over Eastline in the Micropower Integrated Business Solutions Handicap (1350m).

"I've said all along Solzhenitsyn was a serious racehorse but he'll go to the paddock now and come back for the summer series at Doomben," Heathcote said.

"I still feel he's been racing short of his best distance.

Tomboy recorded her fifth win from 10 starts when she beat River Perfume by 2-1/4 lengths in the Savills Industrial Property Handicap (1630m).

"That was the real Tomboy you saw win on Saturday," Heathcote said.

"She had no luck at Eagle Farm start and it was a big effort jumping to 1600 metres and to win so easily.

"She's out of a Jeune mare and the staying lines are coming through so I think she'll run 2000 metre even though she's by Murphy's Blue Boy."