Byrne-ing hot Ipswich form

IT was all about Jim Byrne as the experienced jockey rode his most recent treble of winners at Ipswich.

Jockey Jim Byrne reflects on his winning ride aboard Ice Frost at Ipswich racetrack. Picture: Cordell Richardson

TURF CHAT

IT was all about Jim Byrne as the experienced jockey rode his most recent treble of winners on the final day of the 2018/19 season at Ipswich.

A winner of eight Ipswich senior premierships, Byrne finished third with 20 wins for the season after missing most of 2019 through injury.

The winner of the Ipswich Premiership was Jeff Lloyd on 30 season wins from Michael Cahill with 24. It was the second consecutive premiership for Lloyd although that will be his last after retiring a couple of weeks ago.

The winning treble is an ominous warning for fellow jockeys as Byrne will start the new season in strong form and refreshed from his injury-enforced layoff.

Byrne's treble of winners came from Ice Frost in the first for Beaudesert trainer Darleen Duryea, Duchess Dashalot for Kelly Schweida, and Diamond Diva in the last for premier trainer Tony Gollan.

The grey galloper Duchess Dashalot made it a treble of wins for that coloured equines throughout the afternoon.

Treble-winning jockey Jim Byrne. Picture: Cordell Richardson

Earlier, Von Rosen won for the in-form Anderson Heathcote stable and jockey Dale Smith, and Kopella for Steve Tregea and apprentice Michael Murphy.

Apprentice Baylee Nothdurft wasn't in the winner's stalls at Ipswich on Friday. However the 10 season winners to date was enough to comfortably claim the Ipswich Apprentice Jockey's Premiership for 2018/19.

Clayton Gallagher and Carly Frater-Hill finished second and third behind Nothdurft with seven season wins apiece.

Gollan's magic five

BRISBANE trainer Tony Gollan fittingly won the last Ipswich race of the season with Diamond Diva for his 29th season win and fifth consecutive Ipswich Trainer's Premiership.

Next on the table was the Gold Coast's Toby Edmonds with 13 winners followed one behind by the Sunshine Coast's David Vandyke.

Gollan has dominated the Ipswich training ranks for five years and his run of success at Ipswich started on Cup Day 2014 when he collected the big double - the Ipswich Cup with Brave Ali and Eye Liner Stakes with Alma's Fury.

The stable has churned out consistent winners since that time. If you base form on the last outing, the Gollan stable is in winning mode as the new season is about to commence.

Welcome week off

THERE is a week off from racing at Ipswich which will allow some attention to the track to take place.

There will be a little more irrigation and aeration to the track this week in an attempt to recover from the harsh July conditions at Ipswich.

A series of frosts, including seven consecutive days from mid-July, has had an impact on the track.

The week off comes just at the right time.

On the back of the frosts has been a dry spell creating further problems.

The dry spell has allowed continued racing without issue as the problem with the Ipswich track is lack of drainage.

There has been no need for drainage throughout the dry spell.

However, lack of moisture combined with the cold has severely hindered plant growth as is normal so a week off from racing allowing irrigation and aeration is timely for the track.

Next meetings

The first meeting of the new season is Wednesday, August 7, followed by Friday (16th), Wednesday (21st) and Friday, August 30.