Nozi arrives in Thyme at Clifford Park

A PERFECTLY timed run from Nozi Tomizawa guided It’s Thyme to a strong victory at Clifford Park.

Jockey Nozi Tomizawa guides It's Thyme to win race one at Clifford Park. Picture: Kevin Farmer

RACING: Nozi Tomizawa was at his brilliant best to kick the Clifford Park card off on Saturday night.

As the general public was allowed into the gates for the first time since the COVID regulations were introduced, the Japanese-born hoop gave them a warm welcome back.

Aboard It’s Thyme ($13) in the Audi Centre Toowoomba Class 3 Handicap (1850m), Tomizawa was happy to play the waiting game.

He peeled the Kerry Baumann-trained eight-year-old out approaching the 600m mark.

It proved to be the winning move, with It’s Thyme too strong over the concluding stages, scoring by a neat length from Octavian ($5).

Local trainers swept both divisions of the QTIS Two-Years-Old Maiden Plate (870m) events on the program.

In the first edition, Simply Fly ($2.90 fav) justified the support from punters with a dominant 1 ½ length victory for trainer Rex Lipp.

The Spirit Of Boom colt settled worse than midfield, with Blue Harmony ($4.40) opening up a handy lead on the turn.

Simply Fly, under a navigating ride from Kenji Yoshida, hit the line with authority to score with ease from the race leader.

Kevin Kemp had plenty of reason to smile as his juvenile Best To Hurry ($5) took out the second division of the race., giving Tomizawa a double in the process.

The gelding took a midfield spot with race favourite Jim’s Princess ($2.30) taking up the ascendancy over the sprint trip.

However as the punter’s pick found little, Best To Hurry launched with a surging burst in the straight to score by a long neck from Frisco’s Image ($19), with a further 2 ¼ lengths back to third.

Lindsay Hatch took out training honours on the card with a double.

It started with Last Edition ($6.50) scoring by a long neck in the TAB Class 1 Handicap (1200m), with Rhyme Time ($5) getting the job done in the Hygain QTIS Three-Years-Old Maiden Plate (1200m).

# BOOM two-year-old Kisukano showed she is back with a vengeance after a dominant showing in the Bruce McLachlan Classic (1000m) at the Sunshine Coast.

The QTIS Jewel winning filly was set a task first-up with 60.5kg and a heavy track to contend with.

Neither proved an issue, with Kisukano ($2.40 fav) putting the field away once Mark Du Plessis pushed the button, racing away to score by 2 ¾ lengths.

Nolan said to The Chronicle prior to the event that options in Sydney would be considered if she were to be successful at the weekend, with the filly expected to climb further up in the weights.

Prometheus ($3.80) has been a model of consistency since joining the Tony and Maddysen Sears camp, and the former Sydneysider brought up his second win for the preparation.

The six-year-old edged out Zaunkonig ($5) by the barest of margins in the Class 6 Handicap (1600m).

RESULTS - CLIFFORD PARK

Track: Soft 5, Soft 6 (Race 4), Soft 7 (Race 5), Heavy 8 (Races 6-9)

Rail: +2m entire

1. CLASS 3 HANDICAP, 1850m: 13.00 IT’S THYME (b g 8y Pins-Post Thyme. Trainer: Kerry Baumann) 58.5 (Nozi Tomizawa) 1, 5.00 OCTAVIAN 58 carr 55 (Wendy Peel) 2, 2.25 fav THE MINIVAN 60 (Les Tilley) 3. Then followed: 41.00 Mogul, 4.20 Open Road, 71.00 Ethanol Girl, 5.00 Vermutin last. Scr: Pole Volter. Len, ¾ len. Time: 1:57.41 (Last 600m 37.21).

2. BENCHMARK 75 HANDICAP, 1200m: 4.80 BRYAN (b or b g 7y Monde Bleu (GB)-Grand Furore. Trainer: Mark Currie) 60.5 carr 57.5 (Minonette Kennedy) 1, 4.00 fav MY BELLY BUTTON 58 (Justin Stanley) 2, 17.00 CLIVEDEN 58.5 (Gary Geran) 3. Then followed: 8.50 Okanagan Miss, 5.00 Maddiara, 4.40 Moscini, 31.00 Conquer Mee, 41.00 Supreme Harmony, 11.00 Supersonic Boom last. All started. Sh ½ hd, lg nk. Time: 1:13.27 (Last 600m 36.48).

3. BENCHMARK 65 HANDICAP, 1000m: 5.50 CHEVY NOVA (ch g 3y Deep Field-Nova Star. Trainer: Bevan Johnson) 60.5 carr 57.5 (Dakota Graham) 1, 9.00 PIERIDAE 61.5 carr 58.5 (Wendy Peel) 2, 8.50 I AM THE GENERAL 63.5 carr 61.5 (Minehiko Shimodaira) 3. Then followed: 4.00 fav Headspace, 7.00 Reef Knot, 13.00 Arrow Express, 9.50 Divi, 6.50 Remember Mary, 26.00 Midnight Matinee, 31.00 Last Armageddon last. Scr: Beware. Sh ½ hd, sh ½ hd. Time: 1:00.62 (Last 600m 35.78).

4. CLASS 1 HANDICAP, 1200m: 6.50 LAST EDITION (b g 3y Seidnazar-Picabelle. Trainer: Lindsay Hatch) 58 (Justin Stanley) 1, 31.00 WICCAN REDE 55.5 (Kenji Yoshida) 2, 9.50 MR AZRAY 59 (Les Tilley) 3. Then followed: 11.00 Rock Tour, 2.70 fav Ankara Fox, 10.00 Solo Artist, 41.00 Uralba, 4.60 Muiron, 21.00 Magic Mystery, 41.00 Skald, 18.00 Top Ruler last. Scr: Red Hana. Lg nk, ¾ len. Time; 1:14.48 (Last 600m 37.40).

5. QTIS 2YO MAIDEN PLATE, 870m: 2.90 fav SIMPLY FLY (b or b c 2y Spirt Of Boom-Express Air. Trainer: Rex Lipp) 58 (Kenji Yoshida) 1, 4.40 BLUE HARMONY 56 (Paul Randall) 2, 31.00 CHUBASCOS 58 (Rebecca Goldsbury) 3. Then followed: 41.00 Ryano, 7.00 Bean Bag, 4.40 Miss Gold Bounty, 21.00 Somebody’s Baby, 6.50 Silkay last. Lost rider: Kicks Both Feet. 1 ½ len, 2 ¼ len. Time: 52.44 (Last 600m 35.48).

6. QTIS 2YO MAIDEN PLATE, 870m: 5.00 BEST TO HURRY (b g 2y Mahisara-Dulacca Rose. Trainer: Kevin Kemp) 58 (Nozi Tomizawa) 1, 19.00 FRISCO’S IMAGE 58 (Adam Spinks) 2, 7.00 STRUMAN 56 (Nathan Evans) 3. Then followed: 21.00 Sizzleover, 9.00 Wild, 2.30 fav Jim’s Princess, 6.00 Runard Rednut, 81.00 Wally’s Dream, 16.00 Whitsunday Lad last. All started. Lg nk, 2 ¼ len. Time: 52.97 (Last 600m 36.24).

7. QTIS 3YO MAIDEN PLATE, 1200m: 5.00 RHYME TIME (br f 3y Poet’s Voice (GB)-Ailish. Trainer: Lindsay Hatch) 56 (Justin Stanley) 1, 4.40 SIZZALATING 58 (Adam Sewell) 2, 14.00 HISGRACE 58 (Brian Azel) 3. Then followed: 13.00 Licence To Rock, 18.00 Nitt Whitt, 9.00 Angelic Archer, 2.30 fav B’Daisy, 19.00 Moon Boom last. Scr: Mogalakwena. ½ len, 3 ¼ len. Time: 1:16.14 (Last 600m 37.74).

8. MAIDEN HANDICAP, 1000m: 13.00 SILVAPLANA (b m 4ty Golden Archer-Settheworldonfire. Trainer: Laurie Richardson) 58 carr 55 (Minonette Kennedy) 1, 1.70 fav CRAYON 58.5 (Les Tilley) 2, 5.00 KNUCKLEBOX 55 (Noriyuki Masuda) 3. Then followed: 21.00 Pucko, 14.00 Reg’n;’Kath, 41.00 Enjoy The Show, 14.00 Comet’s Arch, 81.00 Pearls And Perfume, 8.50 Mogalakwena last. Scr: Sizzleover, Kicks Both Feet, Runard Rednut. Len, ½ len. Time: 1:03.14 (Last 600m 37.32).

9. CLASS 1 HANDICAP, 1625m: 20.00 MISS MARGS (b f 3y Not A Single Doubt-Apple Martini. Trainer: Matt Boland) 58.5 carr 55.5 (Montanna Savva) 1, 14.00 ULTIMATE POWER 59 (Rebecca Goldsbury) 2, 1.35 fav STRIP IT DOWN 59.5 (Justin Stanley) 3. Then followed: 8.50 Buzzer Beater, 7.00 Whostoppedtherain, 19.00 Froze, 41.00 Spooling, 81.00 Schwarzy last. Scr: Prunda, Military Kings. ¾ len, sh ½ hd. Time: 1:45.01 (Last 600m 37.78).

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