Boom hoop's winning treble

BRISBANE jockey Brad Stewart rode a winning treble at Ipswich last Thursday as well as assisting leading trainer Tony Gollan to go further ahead.

Jockey Brad Stewart positions Boom County for a winning burst in the latest meeting at Ipswich racetrack. Picture: Cordell Richardson

TURF CHAT

BRISBANE jockey Brad Stewart rode a winning treble at Ipswich last Thursday as well as assisting leading trainer Tony Gollan to go further ahead in the Ipswich Premiership race.

Stewart's first winner of the day was aboard Boom County for Gollan. The three-year-old filly comfortably won her first career race start.

Boom County was the 23rd winner for Gollan in the current season as he took a commanding lead of 12 over nearest rival David Vandyke in a bid to win a fifth consecutive Ipswich Premiership.

Stewart's other two winners were in the final races of the day as longer-priced winners Reef Knot and Mysterium saluted for trainers Less Ross and Chris Jordan respectively.

Mysterium raced at especially generous odds of $14 as he collected his fifth win at his 55th career start. Reef Knot was at shorter odds of $4.60.

Surprise track upgrades

IN what was a surprise to a number of onlookers, the Ipswich track rating was twice upgraded during the day on Thursday.

After starting at a soft six, the track finished at a good four as another Ipswich meeting was conducted without a hitch.

These past few weeks have confirmed the Ipswich Turf Club assertion that there is nothing newly wrong with the track. It is in the same poor drainage state as it has been for 130 years due to the clay subsurface.

When there is rain on the morning of a race meeting, depending on overall conditions, that meeting could be affected as has been the case for 130 years.

A number of stakeholders have been making calls for an immediate rebuild of the Bundamba surface despite it actually racing better over the past 12 months from cushion and grass coverage points of view.

However, the problem of poor drainage remains.

Ipswich groundhog day

THERE were a few clear patterns across the card on Thursday including the past two race winners being ridden by Brad Stewart.

The day began like groundhog day as the first three races all went to favourites wearing the number five saddlecloth.

The winners were Sir Husson, for trainer Les Kelly and jockey Dan Griffin; Boom County; and Sanglier, for Matt Dunn and Ryan Maloney. The winner for Maloney moved him to equal second with Jim Byrne on the Jockey's Premiership behind Jeff Lloyd.

The pattern changed in the fourth and fifth races to $6 winners both wearing number 7 saddlecloth. These were Tiponi, for Desleigh Forster and Mark Du Plessis; and The Great Boombino, for Craig Cousins and Boris Thornton.

Winx farewell

THE Championships at Randwick started on Saturday with four Group 1 races being contested including the historic races, the Australian Derby and the Doncaster Handicap.

A large attendance at Randwick will be followed by a near sell-out on Saturday as Winx prepares for what will be her 33rd consecutive win in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

That will possibly be the final outing for the great race mare who is champion of the world following her incredible sequence of wins. Other Group one races on Saturday are the Australian Oaks, Queen of the Turf, and Sydney Cup as the Sydney Autumn Carnival nears completion.

Next meetings

The next programmed Ipswich race meetings are on Wednesdays April 10, 17 and 24.

Next month's weekend of racing in Ipswich begins on Saturday, May 4, followed by Monday, May 6. That is the CFMEU Mining and Energy Labour Day Cup.

Originally published as Boom hoop's winning treble