RACING returns to the Home Hill track on Saturday, February 18 as the Burdekin Race Club plans a five-event program of events to start off its year of racing on a track that is benefitting from an upgrade last year and the recent rain that fell over the district.
The February 18 program includes an Open Plate (set weights) over 1000 metres, a Benchmark 55 Handicap over 1000 metres; a Benchmark 50 Handicap over 1460 metres; a Class B Handicap over 1180 metres and a Maiden Plate (two-year-old and set weights, with QTIS Bonus applicable) over 1180 metres.
All races offer a total of $10,000 in prize money.
The Burdekin Club last raced on Saturday, December 3, 2022, with excellent nominations in the five-event program and a small crowd in attendance to enjoy the afternoon of racing.
However, the spirit of Christmas was evident with gifts given out to young patrons on course and older punters receiving rewards with drawn prizes for their failed bets.
Local success came first up in race one, a benchmark 65 handicap over 1460 metres, with the Ricky Gudge trained seven- year-old gelding, Keighley Sun (Bonnie Thomson) showing a clean pair of heels to the rest of the field to win by 6.75 lengths, from Louie the Legend (apprentice Jenna Edwards) with Get out Of My Neigh (apprentice Nicole Seymour) in third place.
A large group of mainly local syndicate owners were on hand to share the honours after the win.
The fourth race, a Benchmark 45 Handicap over 1180 metres, brought further success for trainer Ricky Gudge, with the five-year-old bay or brown mare, Lumerai (Nicole Seymour) gaining a third placing, over a length behind the winner, Broadwater (Darby Amos) and second placed Koscina (Natalea Summers).
The field in that race was reduced before the start when the six-year-old gelding, Redzeb was a late scratching after its jockey, veteran rider Peter Cullen received a leg injury when another horse kicked out.
Paramedics assisted the jockey with the injury, but with no available replacements on course, the horse had to be scratched.
Jockey Bonnie Thomson followed up her race one success with another win on Dovi’s Day for trainer John Manzelmann in the second event, the Class B Handicap over 1460 metres, ahead of Target the Stars (Nicole Seymour) with Iron Mask (Jeffrey Felix) in third place.
The third race, a Maiden Plate for three-year-olds and up over 1180 metres was won by five-year-old mare, On Your Skates (Pietro Romeo), three lengths ahead of top weight Orcus (Jeffrey Felix) with Single Malt (Jenna Edwards) in third place.
The final event of the day, a QTIS Class Three Plate (1000 metres) was won by four-year-old gelding, Hallside Hammer. Hallside Hammer (Carl Spry) with Courting second.
