Gladstone’s Ferguson Park venue for Saturday’s five-race meeting

Bevan Johnson will have five starters in the five-event program at Ferguson Park, which is expected to draw more than 1000 racegoers. Read the details here.

“Weather fine and track good” is an expression as old as racing itself in Australia which, by the way, commenced under crude conditions at Hype Park, Sydney, in October 1810.

That gleeful expression is applicable for the well-stacked five-event program on Saturday at Gladstone’s Ferguson Park racecourse where the temperature is tipped to reach 29 degrees.

Racegoers - and there will be plenty, well in excess of 1000 - know only too well that the Gladstone Turf Club caters for them ideally with marquees galore and the protection of a massive covered structure incorporating the seating and the betting ring.

The response from trainers, particularly the 13 visitors of that ilk bringing horses from Roma, Moranbah, Caboolture, Bundaberg, Nanango, Rockhampton and Bluff, has been magnificent.

Clocking up the most kilometres with be Moranbah trainer Bevan Johnson who with five starters will complete a round trip of 1050km – not a bad day’s drive in anyone’s language.

Johnson and his runners Wishnowsky (Race 1), Karbors (R 2), Only Emma (R 3), Han Dynasty (R 4) and Taken On Chance (R 5) are seasoned travellers.

It’s nothing for Johnson and his horses to bob up anywhere from Mt Isa or the “big smoke “itself being Brisbane.

In fact, the win of Han Dynasty in the Country Stampede Qualifier (1100m) at Springsure last Saturday qualified Johnson and the talented sprinter for a trip to Brisbane for the lucrative final on December 3.

Han Dynasty will contest the Bob Lisle Open (850m) at Ferguson Park in which stable apprentice Tyler Leslight’s 3kg claim will bring it in with a luxury weight of 55.5kg.

Although unraced at Gladstone, Han Dynasty has won eight races in his brief career and all have been on sand or dirt tracks including those at Mt Isa and Bundaberg before his 4.5-length romp home at Springsure.

Han Dynasty’s owners include Johnson’s wife Mel and passionate Emerald racing buff Richard “Nugget” Turnbull who shares in quite a few horses with the Johnson outfit.

The Johnson-trained sprinter Only Emma is also a toff on the sand and she resumes in a tough race, the rich QTIS Class 2 (1000m).

In a race full of chances, Only Emma’s asset is her lightweight 54kg which should offset her wide draw.

Another indirect strong pointer that the Johnson stable has unintentionally handed out to punters is that it has chosen to race their team at Gladstone on Saturday.

They also had entries for the corresponding meetings at Mt Isa and Longreach but have opted for Ferguson Park instead in a move they hope will pay dividends.

Racing starts at Ferguson Park at 1.20pm with the last race scheduled for 4.10pm and with the strongest bookmakers betting ring in Central Queensland, punters will be primed for action.

Comparable to the warmer weather, racing hots up at Gladstone in the next five weeks with Cox Plate Day races there on October 22 and the Melbourne Cup meeting on - you should know when.

Of course, it’s the first Tuesday in November, being the very first day of that month this year.