Emerald 100 field has accumulated 64 wins and $1,452,183 in prize money

Bayerische is among the 10-strong field being touted as the best ever to contest the time-honoured race at the Emerald Jockey Club. Read why here.

Bayerische and some of his winning Rockhampton connections after the 2022 Emerald 100. They are back for another crack on Saturday. Photo: Tony McMahon

Rockhampton racing stakeholders head out to Emerald on Saturday for the club’s biggest race meeting of the year.

While veteran racing followers may tend to disagree, the statistics available lead to a consensus of opinion that Saturday’s field for the 57th (not raced 2020) running of the Emerald Ford Emerald 100 (1850m) is the best field ever to contest the time-honoured race.

The field of 10 in the $15,000 race, which is set for 4.10pm, is of a far superior standard than the 2022 edition won by Rockhampton’s Bayerische, which chases back-to back wins again on Saturday.

Between them, this year’s “100” field has accumulated 64 wins (54 – 2022) and amassed $1,452,183 in prize money, a massive increase on the $969,797 total stakes CV for the 2022 Emerald 100 field.

It will certainly generate well-earned plaudits for the Emerald Jockey Club, as should be the case as some of country Queensland’s best trophy race contenders will take to the field for the feature.

Mackay’s John Manzelmann, who has won the race twice, is represented by Cairns Cup winner - the topweight The Driller - along with the English horse Motamayiz (GB), three times a winner in his homeland at Bath, while winning the Middlemount Cup in the Central Queensland Coalfields in August.

Clermont’s Emma Bell will ride The Driller, while Rockhampton apprentice Nikki Olzard takes the seat on Motamayiz (GB).

As an aside, Emma is the niece of Emerald trainer Glenda Bell who, in 2006 on Pimpala Player, created Emerald 100 history by not only becoming the first trainer -jockey to win the race but also the first female winning rider.

The only other female to ride an Emerald 100 winner has been Mackay’s Trinity Bannon on Manzelmann’s Bawaardi in 2011.

Female jockeys will ride half of Saturday’s field, with Tasha Chambers on Gladstone-trained Svindal, Gabrielle Semmens on Bowen trainer Tom Button’s Four Mile Lane and Rockhampton apprentice McKenzie Apel on Raymond Williams’ local Breton.

Successful trainer Tom Button, who as as a local lad at Emerald started his apprenticeship as a jockey, makes no secret that he would “love to win” the race with Four Mile Lane.

“Being a hometown boy and growing up in Emerald, the ‘100’ has always been the race I have wanted to win,” he said.

Trainer Tom Button.

“Jokingly, I have told Gabby (his partner) there is a lot of pressure on her through that fact on Four Mile Lane.

“No, the horse should go very close. Unfortunately, I have to stay at Bowen as I have starters there as well on Saturday.”

In Four Mile Lane, a winner of his past two recent starts at Bowen and Mackay around the 1800m distance, Button has the right horse to fulfil his cherished Emerald 100 winning desire.

Rockhampton trainer’s Kristie Clark-Peoples starts Centaur (Robert Faehr) in the belief it will run “a strong 1850m”, while fellow Callaghan Park trainer Tom Smith has no such concerns with Bayerische (Chris McIver).

Roma trainer Craig Smith has snapped up comeback Rockhampton jockey Dale Evans for his representative Salazar.

From Barcaldine comes trainer Patrick O’Toole and his seasoned and well-travelled veteran All Hard Wood which has the biggest prize money earnings in the field with $313,705 alongside his name in the racebook.

Former Kiwi jockey, the very competent now Rockhampton-based Warwick Satherley has the mount with O’Toole striving for a second Emerald 100 trophy following Hunter Island (Les Tilley) winning in 2019.

Emerald Pioneer Park trainers, the former local jockeys Trevor Williams and the unrelated Raymond Williams, will start Starhattan (John Rudd) and Breton (Apel).

The added incentive for the Emerald 100 is that the winner automatically qualifies for the $200,000 Country Cups Challenge Final (1600m) at Doomben on Saturday, December 2.

Saturday’s co-feature is the $15K Outback Flooring Lightning (1000m), with trainer Ray Williams chasing three wins in the feature on a day when racing starts at 1.10pm.

Curator Raymond Williams reports the turf track is in pristine condition.

Originally published as Emerald 100 field has accumulated 64 wins and $1,452,183 in prize money