Stirring Qld Winter carnival performances to remember

All in all, the Carnival was one to remember - especially in the eyes of Ipswich racing supporters.

Jockey Michael Cahill. Picture: Rob Williams

TURF CHAT

THE final Group 1 race for the Queensland Winter Racing Carnival was run and won on Saturday at Eagle Farm as Invincibella won the Tattersall's Tiara.

Invincibella was ridden by Jason Collett and trained by Chris Waller for his Australian record 18th Group 1 win of the season.

In a stirring finish, the James Cummings trained pair of Pohutukawa and Savatiano filled the placings in a tight photo.

A big impression was made by three-year-old Victorian galloper Vow and Declare, who won the Tattersalls Cup with former Ipswich premier jockey Glen Boss in the saddle for trainer Danny O'Brien.

With only the Caloundra Cup to round out the entire carnival this weekend, there have been several standout observations from the past couple of months.

The riding form of Queensland based Michael Cahill and visiting Blake Shinn has been superb.

Shinn rode a winning treble on Saturday as well as a double on Oaks Day, the Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich and consistent success across the carnival.

Cahill added a winner on Saturday to the first two big races of the carnival on New Zealand's The Bostonian and consistent success across the carnival including at Ipswich.

Cahill won his fifth Gai Waterhouse Classic at Ipswich, a track that he knows well having been a former premier jockey and Ipswich Cup winner over the years.

It remains to be seen if Cahill can collect another Ipswich Premiership by eating into the five win lead held by Jeff Lloyd with five weeks of the season remaining.

The return of Eagle Farm to the spotlight of the Winter Carnival was also a huge plus for racing in the state. It is the premier track with the premier race and all of Queensland Racing welcomed back the track in such fine form.

A major highlight of the carnival was of course the Ipswich Cup. In attracting the largest attendance throughout Queensland for the year, the people of Ipswich again displayed great pride and spirit in the city.

The racing was keen as well with the highlights arriving late as Western Australia's Man Booker trained by Dan Morton won the Listed Eye Liner Stakes, and Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott combined to win the race named in Gai's honour for the first time after 15 editions as a listed race.

All in all, the Carnival was one to remember - especially in the eyes of Ipswich racing supporters.

Exciting Ipswich facility future

AFTER another Ipswich Cup Day has been added to the record books for the historic Ipswich Turf Club, what an exciting future is in store for not only the club, but for the entire Ipswich community.

The new infrastructure facilities will bring the club into the new millennium with a bang as jockeys, stewards, members, and of course equines will all be housed in new and modern facilities.

The added bonus for the club and the community as a whole is the ability to utilise the new and refurbished existing facilities, to create an events and entertainment centre that the entire city of Ipswich can utilise, whether racing fans or not.

Many are chomping at the bit for the completion of the long awaited facility which be a source of great pride for Ipswich.

The upgraded facilities include new major building, track improvements, new race day stalls, new car park, upgrades to TL Cooney Ave and refurbished existing amenities.

The work is now forecast to be totally completed early to mid 2020.

Next meetings

There have been 136 nominations received for the next Ipswich meeting on Friday.

That program will be followed by meetings on Wednesday, July 3, and then Friday racing on July 12, 19 and 26 to complete the season.

Originally published as Stirring Qld Winter carnival performances to remember