HE GOOD
Country Music aficionados flock to Tamworth at this time of year for the Country Music Festival, however with some great racing opportunities, the chance to take a team to the New England region for a ‘working holiday’ has paid dividends for Graham Dwyer.
Dwyer has attended the Tamworth Carnival the past five years, the only exception being the 2021 edition owing to the Covid-19 border restrictions.
“It really is our chance to have a bit of a break, we take a small team down, give the rest of our team a break and stay for the two weeks, they have a really great atmosphere,” the Queensland trainer said.
“Off the track we went to a few concerts, attended the golf day, went to the Calcutta, even saw the bull riding one night, it really is a great break, and we get to spend time with some great people.”
Heading down the New England Highway chasing feature success, the Dwyer stable claimed two of the biggest three races across the carnival along with the consolation of the big one, with a horse he purchased leading into the Tamworth trip.
“I got Despondent from Daren Garrard before we came away because I thought he would be well suited at Tamworth on the tighter track and their racing style, but I don’t think Marty was too happy,” Dwyer chuckled.
Marty is Dwyer’s wife and any concerns with the purchase were quickly solved with victory in the Gold Nugget to another of his team, Hy Voltage on the opening night.
Not only was Dwyer able to secure victory in the Gold Nugget with the five-year-old, but he was also able to trifecta the race with Surf Ace finishing second and Despondent finishing third.
It was the first time that a trainer has been able to claim the first three placings across the line in the Gold Nugget, with the winning owner receiving a gold nugget valued at approximately $2,000, a great result for Marty Dwyer – the owner of Hy Voltage.
Five days later Surf Ace claimed a new track record for the 1980 metre distance when securing a heat of the Golden Guitar, the five-year-old pulling clear to claim an 11 metre victory in 1.55.8 for stable driver Brendan Barnes.
With Hy Voltage not a Golden Guitar hope, Dwyer progressed Despondent and He Said She Said to the consolation following the heats, with Surf Ace his runner in the $40,800 feature, drawn two off the second line in barrier eight.
Despondent repaid Dwyer’s assessment, winning the Guitar consolation by leading throughout for Barnes.
As for Surf Ace, it has been a rocky journey with the gelding since taking over his training with bad luck and bad barriers testing Dwyer’s resolve and patience.
“When we were getting the team sorted to head down to Tamworth, I did think he would be suitable and thought if he could make the Final that I would be happy with that result,” Dwyer said.
Off the back of his big win in the heat, Barnes was forced to take some evasive action in the early stages to maintain a one-wide position, eventually settling one out and three back as Gottashopearly set the pace.
Securing the right three-wide cover, Barnes angled Surf Ace wider around the home bend and the five-year-old responded, moving up to claim the front and hold off the fast-finishing One For The Rodi.
“Things just weren’t going right for him at home, bad barriers, bad luck, but he has turned the corner, once he got that good win at Albion Park, just before Christmas, it has been the turning point,” Dwyer said.
In sweeping the Guitar series Surf Ace was also able to extend his career prize money earnings beyond $100,000 for owners Mick Harvey, Gareth Hall and Gerard Moloney.
With the working holiday over, Dwyer is now back in Queensland and ready to build off his second consecutive century of winners season, one of just four trainers in the Sunshine State to reach triple figures last term.
THE BAD
After securing his second consecutive state and national drivers premierships in 2022, Pete McMullen faces a big task in the early stages of the new season to chase down the hat-trick.
After starting the season on the back foot owing to a suspension and also taking a well-deserved holiday, McMullen only started back in the bike last Tuesday, wasting little time to get back to the winners enclosure when successful in his second drive of the season.
Finishing the week with three winners, McMullen’s cousin Nathan Dawson is taking full advantage of his absence.
Dawson has been in super form to start the season, steering home 25 winners and a further 25 placings, with a superb winning strike-rate of 23%.
Scoring a Saturday night victory with Bonnie Prince Louis, that win had followed a treble on Friday at “The Creek”, recorded for three different trainers.
The first of the three was an all the way win aboard Rock Hammer for Graham Dwyer before a crafty drive aboard Whostolemypigeon for trainer Ben Battle.
The final leg of the treble came for Darrel Graham aboard Three Rivers, working to the front from a wide gate and able to control the tempo to hold off a fast-finishing Dazzle Me.
The treble followed a double on Thursday at Redcliffe, with another winner for Ben Battle, this one aboard Regulus before finishing the day with a win for Phill Keats.
It was a neat piece of driving to get Major Slip Up home for Keats, angling the gelding into the clear at the right time and finishing best to score a four-metre victory over the Pete McMullen driven Forgive Me.
It could be a big month for Dawson with seven meetings still to be held before the first month of the season is completed.
THE WILDCARD
The youngest descendant of the John and Beryl Dawson clan competing in a special race to honour the legacy of the family has claimed bragging rights in the races first running.
Taleah McMullen was victorious when leading throughout with the Donny Smith-trained Stormtide, defeating her older siblings and cousins taking part in the inaugural John and Beryl Dawson Legacy Pace.
Taleah was able to repel the strong challenge from elder brother and reigning national driving champion Pete McMullen in taking the race named to honour the ongoing legacy of the Dawson descendants.
Completing the McMullen sibling trifecta, Narissa grabbed third on the Peter Greig-trained Beef City Blaze, with Nathan Dawson, grabbing fourth placing aboard Master Charles.
Despite being a driving force behind the introduction of the race, Trent Dawson who was also celebrating a birthday on Friday, had to be content with a midfield finish aboard the Mark Dux-trained Blue Bloodz.
It may have been a last place finish for Dannielle Veivers in the race, however, she was able to turn her fortunes around two races later in a race named after her own daughter Alisha.
Girl From Rosedale is trained, bred and owned by Dannielle’s husband Ryan, and with Dannielle taking the reins, the pair led from gate seven and were able to claim victory in the Happy First Birthday Alisha pace.
In total, the Dawson descendants drove six of the eight winners on the night, with Nathan Dawson bagging a winning treble and Taleah chimed in with a double.
THE MILESTONE
The record sale price for a yearling in Queensland was equalled on Sunday when the Australian Pacing Gold Sale was held at the Gold Coast’s Magic Millions Sales Complex.
$100,000 was the bid required to secure the colt by Captain Crunch out of the New Zealand bred mare Soul Sister, with the Gold Coast-based Norm Jenkin the new owner.
Jenkin has predominantly raced trotters in recent times, having huge success with Victorian trainer Andy Gath with the likes of Majestuoso, Tornado Valley and Mclovin all Group 1 winners in recent seasons.
It was the first yearling by first season sire Captain Crunch to go under the hammer in Australia, the colt hailing from an extremely strong maternal family that includes the likes of Belle Of Montana and Carabella.
The bid equalled the $100,000 paid in the corresponding sale in 2022, with that Sweet Lou filly now known as Dahrlinn, having its first education trial at Albion Park on Friday.
$75,000 was reached for Lot 4, making the Somebeachsomewhere filly out of Major Fashion, the highest priced filly to be sold on the day, knocked down to New South Wales-based owner Wayne Loader.
Nine of the catalogued fillies were sold on the day, with the other eight all sold between $30-$42,000.
The Butler stable celebrated their premiership success of 2022, with Tara Butler out laying $82,500, the second highest purchase of the day to secure a Downbytheseaside colt out of Samara Crocker, the full sister to millionaire pacer Major Crocker.
THIS WEEK
Six race meetings are scheduled for the week ahead in Queensland with three apiece from both Albion Park and Redcliffe.
A total of 10 races will be decided on Tuesday afternoon from “The Creek” with another two-year-old race, the third in successive weeks to be conducted and with neither of the winners from the first two events held, another first win QBRED bonus will be paid with all runners being eligible.
Wednesday night at Redcliffe will see 10 races held, followed by another 10 on Thursday afternoon, with nominations for the Sunday night fixture on “The Triangle” set to close on Wednesday morning.
Saturday nights Albion Park fixture will see the latest UP to NR70 Final held, the popular race format have proven to be keenly contested races, chasing the lions share of the $20,770 prize money.
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