Ipswich the place to get on winning track

IPSWICH is a popular track for runners at the moment as more than 160 nominations were received for tomorrow's meeting.

Jockey Jason Taylor relaxes after riding Shauquin to victory at Ipswich racetrack. Picture: Cordell Richardson

TURF CHAT

IPSWICH is a popular track for runners at the moment as more than 160 nominations were received for tomorrow's meeting.

More than 140 nominations were received for last Wednesday's meeting.

On the strong card last week at Ipswich, a run of increasingly higher priced winners was started by Harold Norman's Shauquin.

Having his first start at Ipswich, Shauquin collected his fourth career win, his first Queensland win from eight tries, and his first win for almost a year at odds of $6.50.

Shauquin raced 16 times in Victoria for Flemington trainer Danny O'Brien before moving to Harold Norman's Gold Coast stables late last year.

The previous Queensland starts had yielded just the one placing at the Gold Coast so last week's win was somewhat of a surprise.

Shauquin was ridden by Sunshine Coast jockey Jason Taylor who has been a long- time visitor to the Ipswich track. Sixteen years ago, Taylor won the famed Ipswich Cup aboard the John Hawkes trained Sydney visitor Mowerman.

The affable hoop is a pleasure to chat to when in Ipswich recounting his stories in the saddle.

Long-price winners

A COUPLE of subsequent winners were even more of a surprise as winner's odds started to grow across the day.

Firstly, it was Killerman's Run for trainer Glenn Stockdale at $10, then So You Wish for Bevan Laming at $15 to make it a race to race treble for Gold Coast stables.

Both Killerman's Run and So You Wish were ridden by former Ipswich Premier jockey Michael Cahill who moved into a clear second on the current ladder with 17 season winners, though still eight behind leader Jeff Lloyd.

Lloyd had planned to retire last year however he still continues to ride in great form.

Lloyd collected a winner in the last race of the day with Churning for another Gold Coast trainer Toby Edmonds.

The final long-priced winner for the day at $41 was the flashy grey Cossie which just held out in the second last of the day for another Gold Coast trainer John Wallace. Cossie was ridden by apprentice Carly Frater-Hill.

John Wallace is another to have won an Ipswich Cup as he famously did with Oompala in 1994. That galloper then went south and won the Group 3 Newcastle Cup before running a splendid third in the Melbourne Cup in the spring of that year.

Wallace had another top line galloper in Australian Derby winner Shootout who also placed in the Cox Plate almost a decade ago.

Feature weekend

TOMORROW'S meeting is the final outing at Ipswich prior to the Labour Day Cup weekend which features the Legs and Eddies Day on the Saturday, May 4, and Labour Day on May 6.

These meetings have been on the Ipswich calendar for 13 years and have been strongly supported by St Edmund's College Foundation, Ipswich Hospital Foundation, and the Mining and Energy Division of the CFMEU.

The free family funday on Labour Day and the Ipswich Mile Gift foot racing on Saturday make these two race days a bit more special and different.

Next meetings

The next programmed Ipswich race meeting is tomorrow.

Ipswich's racing program next month starts with Saturday, May 4, before the Monday, May 6, CFMEU Mining and Energy Labour Day Cup.

Originally published as Ipswich the place to get on winning track