Star Status wins Wieland his first Cairns Amateurs Cup

There is not much Fred Wieland hasn’t done in racing, but the wily trainer has ticked off another career highlight by training his first Cairns Amateurs Cup winner.

THERE is not much Fred Wieland hasn’t done in racing, but the wily trainer has ticked off another career highlight by training his first Cairns Amateurs Cup winner.

Star Status powered home strongly down the outside to take line honours in the $150,000 feature which lends the carnival its name.

For Wieland, it was an unforgettable afternoon as he claimed a first Cairns Amateurs Cup in his long career.

“That’s No.1. I’ve had a couple of Cairns Cups but not an Amateurs yet,” Wieland said.

“It feels good to win any race, but a feature race like that is pretty good. For a big owner who is pretty well supportive of my stable, so it’s good to get a result for them.”

The team behind Cairns Amateurs Cup winner Star Status.

Louis January came out quick to set the pace early, the Jared Wehlow-trained galloper leading by as much as eight lengths through the halfway point of the race.

But the chasing field closed the gap as they rounded the long Cannon Park bend, making for a shootout as they stormed down the straight.

Pre-race favourite Namazu was in the centre of the pack and the track as they neared the finish, as Les Tilley guided the Ricky Vale-trained star towards the front just a fortnight after claiming the Cairns Cup.

But it was Star Status who just kept surging, and storming to the front and claiming line honours by more than three lengths to Fortified (Peter Fleming) and Namazu.

“It was what we planned, to take off early and keep going forward without any interruptions out wide,” Wieland said.

“It worked out well, and it was a brilliant ride.

“He can’t stop and start, he just has to get into a rhythm and keep increasing. He can’t go for inside runs or be pulled around, or stop and start, he can’t pick up again.

“I was feeling confident when they started to turn for home. From the corner on he had it won, (Star Status) just kept increasing his speed – he probably could have gone around again.”

Perhaps Wieland’s biggest praise was reserved for jockey Jason Taylor, who enjoyed a fruitful Amateurs partnership with the experienced trainer.

Wieland booked Taylor on five rides over the two days of on-track action, with Taylor grabbing three wins, a second and a third.

“I give him five for the weekend and he rode a perfect ride in all of them,” Wieland said.

“We won three of them and he ran two seconds for us.

“Five brilliant rides.”

What’s next for Star Status will be decided after a discussion with owner Tom Hedley, but Wieland flagged it would either be a tilt at the Innisfail Cup or off to the paddock.

“We’ll play it by ear, he might go down for the Innisfail Cup but then that’ll be it for the year,” Wieland said.

“We’ll have a chat to Tom about it during the week and see where we go, if we go to Innisfail or straight to the paddock. We’ll see how that goes.”

CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT AMATEURS

Star Status has won the 2022 Cairns Amateur Cup.

Louis January led on the first lap, setting a good pace and building a big lead while heading into the back straight.

The Jared Wehlow-trained charge built an eight-length lead before the chasing pack started to close in as they rounded the bend.

Namazu, seeking a Cairns double after claiming the Cairns Cup a fortnight ago, pushed through the middle of the pack as Don Arcangelo surged from the inside.

But Star Status, the seven-year-old trained by Fred Wieland with Jason Taylor aboard, flew down the outside, finding a second wind in the final few hundred metres to take the honours by a long way.

Fortified crossed second for Peter Fleming, with Namazu third.

Namazu started the $2.40 favourite, according to the TAB, with Louis January ($5.50), Planet Warrior ($7) and Arctic Wolf ($9) the next best backed.

Love Is Blind ($11.50) then capped a sensational afternoon for leviathan owner Tom Hedley by saluting in the TAB Cairns Amateur Sprint.

Les Tilley rode a near-perfect race for veteran trainer Roy Chillemi, with the six-year-old timing its late surge to edge Stephen Massingham’s Full Recognition.

Love On Sunday led early in the 1400m sprint but finished third for Alex Malliff.

Hedley-owned horses won the final three races on Day 2 of the Cairns Amateurs Carnival, with Amateurs Cup winner Star Status, Amateur Sprint winner Love Is Blind, and Class 3 Plate winner Nantucket, plus a number of placegetters across the days.

VALE RETURNS WITH CUP WIN IN MIND

RICKY Vale will return to Cannon Park in an effort to complete a Cairns Jockey Club sweep of the two biggest races of the year in what could be Namazu’s final race with the Berserker trainer.

Namazu has been in fine form this carnival season, claiming back-to-back wins in the Townsville Cup and Cairns Cup.

And he will line up in the Cairns Amateurs Cup (2100m) on Saturday as the top weight, with the five-year-old having to lug 59kg – 5kg more than the rest of the field.

But Vale, who made Townsville his base for the Far North component of the annual carnival, is still confident Namazu can get it done despite being “crucified”.

“He stayed in Townsville the whole time. We did that so we didn’t have to do too much travelling,” Vale said.

“He’s pulled up well, his work’s been good.

“We are still confident but they have crucified him at the weight.

“If you go on his last three starts, Planet Warrior beat him once and we beat him twice but we have to carry 5kg more than him.

“He did get it a bit easy last start but this is going to be his test.”

Jockey Les Tilley aboard Namazu after taking out the Cairns Cup. Photo by Emily Barker

Vale views Planet Warrior as the biggest threat.

The Olivia Cairns-trained seven-year-old has not been far off the pace in his past few starts, with fourths in the Townsville Cup and Cairns Cup and a second in the Mackay Cup in late July.

Jared Wehlow’s Louis January is another who is popular with punters and won’t be far off, provided he has recovered after pulling up at the Cairns Cup.

“Planet Warrior will be the best competition, and Louis January,” Vale said.

“Maybe he (Louis January) will be competition again, if you go by his win in the start before the big weight.

“He ran a really good time that day.

“It depends if they found something wrong with him.”

Namazu remains Vale’s only hope in the Far North, after his earlier plan to bring a team of horses fell apart.

He makes no secret of his reasons for staying in Cairns – the money. And, so far, Namazu has delivered.

He will trust Cairns Cup-winning jockey Les Tilley with the ride again.

“He rode him absolutely perfect the other day … how could you take him off?” Vale said.

“Ryan Wiggins was keen to get back on him but it’s hard to take a winning jockey off.

“It’s hard to take someone off when they ride him as good as Bubba (Tilley) did last week.

“As long as we get the win. The prizemoney is good enough than to look at anything else.

“That’s why we stayed up here, the prizemoney.

“As long as he performs well and pulls up all right, we’ll be happy.”

Jockey Les Tilley aboard Namazu takes out the Cairns Cup. Photo by Emily Barker

For Vale, this carnival period is a farewell tour of sorts for Namazu, who has been with him since transferring from James Cummings’ Sydney stables in June last year.

In that time, he’s claimed seven wins from 17 starts, but the gelding’s future likely lies in South East Queensland.

“I’ll probably lose him after this start to a Brisbane trainer,” he said.

“ I’m just not in a position to take him down there a lot.

“After this start, I’m pretty sure he’ll go for a spell.

“If not, if he pulls up really, really good, I might give him one start in Brisbane before he goes to paddock.

“We’ll face that after the race and have a talk about that.

“Once he goes to paddock, he’ll probably go to a Brisbane trainer.

“If he’s not up to scratch down there, he might come back to me for the carnival next year.

“I had planned on bringing a few up and in the end it didn’t end up many.

“Happy to win the Cups, as anyone would be, so hopefully that continues on Saturday.”

HASSETT BACKS BAKUHATSU BREAKTHROUGH

TOWNSVILLE trainer Joanna Hassett believes five-year-old sprinter Bakuhatsu is primed for a big performance at the first day of the Cairns Amateurs.

Bakuhatsu won four straight starts – all at Townsville’s Cluden Park – for Hassett since moving from Toby and Trent Edmonds’ leading stable at the Gold Coast.

But that luck ran out in the Lightning Open at Cannon Park two weeks ago, when he was third behind Raise Da Vibration (Georgie Holt) and Silent Explorer (Stephen Massingham).

Hassett was not overly concerned with the third-placing, with the trip to the tropics more about ensuring he was more familiar with the track ahead of Friday’s Open Handicap (950m) on Day 1 of the Cairns Amateurs.

Bakuhatsu trainer Joanna Hassett. Picture: Can-Do Photography

“He’s pulled up great from the start there,” she said.

“It was to get him to handle the travel a bit better and get to know the track a little more.

“He’s a bit of a nervous type so he’s had the benefit of seeing his surroundings and getting a bit more used to it.

“But he’s looking a treat now.

“We’ll have the experience of Graham Kliese on board as well so he could be in for a good day.”

The field for the $50,000 Open Handicap (950m) is fairly similar to that of the Lightning Open, with Raise Da Vibration listed an early $4 favourite by the TAB.

Bakuhatsu and Silent Explorer were $4.60 on Thursday afternoon, with top weights Desert Cowboy (Trevor Rowe) and Prime Ruler (Fred Wieland) $6 each.

Prime Ruler is the only one of those five horses who didn’t run in the Lightning Open, and were the first four past the post on Cairns Cup day.

The only thing Hassett would prefer this time around is that Bakuhatsu salutes in the $50,000 sprint, and Kliese may be the key. “It was a handy run. He was a short favourite but we weren’t disappointed,” Hassett said.

“If he had have been ridden more aggressively he would have had a better opportunity.

“(The Edmunds) always had a big opinion of him but he’s a nervous horse.

“He’s gone well with us, and the smaller stable might actually help him. It’s a bit quieter, and we can spend more time with him.”

HANSEN HOPES PAIR EARN SPRINT GLORY

EXPERIENCED and consistent riders – not to mention a kind barrier draw – will be key to victory in the TAB Cairns Amateur Sprint on Saturday.

A hot field similar to that which ran in the Cairns Newmarket on August 20 will line up for the $75,000, 1400m race at Cannon Park, headed by two top Darryl Hansen charges.

Horse Bombasay and Jockey Jason Taylor finished first in the Cairns Newmarket.

Jason Taylor steered Bombasay to victory in the $75,000 Cairns Newmarket for Sunshine Coast trainer Hansen, a clear 2½ lengths ahead of Stephen Massingham’s Full Recognition, and he will be trusted with the seven-year-old again.

Hansen hopes to see the strong run repeated on Saturday despite the extra few kilos.

Fellow Hansen runner and Rockhampton Newmarket winner Doctor Zous got stuck in the pack and crossed the line fifth at Cannon Park, but Hansen believes that the seven-year-old, despite copping top weight, will be right for the Amateur Sprint.

“I’ve only got the two but they pulled up really good here in the paddock in Townsville,” Hansen said. “They’re both capable. Doctor Zous is really good with the weight and Bombasay has hit form at the right time.

Darryl Hansen and Jason Taylor winner Bombasay

“As longs as they both run up to their ability, we’ll be happy.”

Full Recognition hasn’t saluted since May, though he has notched a second in the Cairns Newmarket and fourth in Townsville’s TAB Cleveland Bay in his last two starts.

“Without seeing the barrier draw, I’m pretty confident,” said Massingham, who is preparing 17 starters over the two-day ­Amateurs.

“Last preparation we kept him to 1000m but he’s shown this time that the 1200 to 1400 is suiting him.”

All three chances, who will be among the favourites, have experienced and consistent riders.

Massingham has engaged Chris Whitely, who rode him to second at the Cairns Newmarket and a few winners last year, while Graham Kliese will ride Doctor Zous for Hansen.

The high-class field includes Cleveland Bay winner Wren’s Day, Sharlee Hoffman’s Maquereau and Georgie Holt’s Let’s Go Bobby.

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Originally published as Star Status wins Wieland his first Cairns Amateurs Cup