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Lad Rounds Out Feel Good Day At Farm

River Lad has continued his career best campaign with a slender success in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap.

The Natalie McCall-trained gelding was still considered an outsider in the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) despite a career best win three weeks earlier when claiming the BRC Sprint.

Most who supported River Lad on that occasion had jumped off as had jockey Tim Bell, electing to ride Sacred Star following their success in the QTC Cup.

Damien Oliver was the beneficiary, picking up the ride in a race which had so far eluded the Hall Of Fame jockey who had placed during previous Stradbroke Handicap’s aboard Khaptingly (1995) and Falvelon (2002).

Well away, River Lad took up his customary forward position outside early leader Temple Of Boom.

It was the start of an excellent battle as the pair turned for home and went stride for stride.

River Lad gradually wore down Temple Of Boom and a slender win ensued.

River Lad
River Lad Picture: Racing and Sports

Srikandi held her own for a valuable Group 1 placing while Spirit Of Boom and Sacred Star closed well for fourth and fifth respectively.

It was a race of firsts for River Lad and connections.

The 2014 Stradbroke Handicap was River Lad’s first Group 1 success having been a three time stakes winner previously.

River Lad’s Stradbroke success was Natalie McCall’s maiden Group 1 victory and Damien Oliver’s first in the flagship Queensland event.

A rising seven-year-old, River Lad’s success yielded him a new master Timeform figure of 117, one pound clear of what at the time was a surprise rating of 116 yielded when second in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) behind Appearance.

Such a winning figure comes in well below the prior five-year winning average of the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).

Winning performances of 120+ have been the norm during that period with River Lad’s victory the lowest rated since Mr Baritone caused a boilover in the 2008 renewal.

Three Group 1’s were conducted at Eagle Farm last Saturday with Sonntag producing a fairytale performance for young trainer Henry Dwyer.

Currently embarking on his first full season as a trainer, the young horseman now boasts a Group 1 with Sonntag well and truly his breakout horse.

Sonntag
Sonntag Picture: Racing and Sports

Acquired as a tried ex Peter Snowden-trained galloper, Sonntag overcoming an infected tendon has been well documented.

His subsequent rise through the grades has been meteoric going from a maiden win at Sale to Group 1 glory over the course of four starts.

Ridden by Chad Schofield for the first time, the Teofilo gelding enjoyed a perfect run in transit settled fourth behind Rudy and Pinstripe Lane.

Sonntag always appeared poised to strike and the gelding made his move approaching the 300m.

While runner up Pinstripe Lane was brave, he couldn’t deny Sonntag providing a feel good Group 1 success for connections.

Race favourite Vilanova was closing well late for third.

Last Saturday’s Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) yielded Sonntag a new master Timeform rating of 109.

The 2014 Queensland Derby came in below the five-year winning average which is a fairly underwhelming figure by Group 1 standards.

Instead of an ambitious spring campaign aimed at a Caulfield Cup or Melbourne Cup, Dwyer will give Sonntag a generous spell prior to either a preparation in WA or bringing the gelding back for a tilt at autumn riches.

It appears a wise move by the trainer when considering the minimal success Queensland Derby winners have subsequently tasted.

Hawkspur is the best performed of the Queensland Derby winners during the previous five years having won the 2013 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m).

2012 winner Brambles has just returned off a lengthy injury enforced layoff while 2011 winner Shootoff following a tendon injury sustained during his four-year-old season was never the same horse.

Back to the 2010 Queensland Derby, Dariana had just four more career outings before retirement while Court Ruler didn’t win after his 2009 Derby.

Before Hawkspur, the last Queensland Derby winner to claim another career win was Ice Chariot.

Almalad rounded out a winning treble for Gai Waterhouse and Tommy Berry at Eagle Farm last Saturday.

The Al Maher gelding was sent north after a convincing first up win at Randwick over 1200m.

Despite a sizeable class and distance rise, Almalad took it all in his stride sitting outside the leader Time For War.

Almalad
Almalad Picture: Racing and Sports

While race favourite Brazen Beau loomed large, Almalad fended off his challenge strongly for a determined Group 1 victory.

The 2013/14 crop of two-year-olds profiles as an underwhelming group and Almalad’s latest performance assessed at 112 sits below the prior five-year-winning average of the J.J Atkins.


Racing and Sports

Eagle Farm Saturday, 07th June 2014

6f211y TURF GOOD
AUD $1,380,000

Aami Stradbroke Hcp (G1)

AUD $1,380,000
Age: 3yo and up Type: OPEN
6f211y TURF GOOD
FP Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 7. RIVER LAD (AUS) 6yo G
TOP ECHELON (AUS) - IKEYMO (AUS)
DAMIEN OLIVER
NATALIE MCCALL
$31
55kg
Sarna Racing & Breeding (Mgr: R J Anderson)
2nd 5. TEMPLE OF BOOM (AUS) 7yo G
PICCOLO (GB) - TEMPLE SPIRIT (AUS)
MS T HARRISON
TONY GOLLAN
$26
56kg
Mrs P Gollan, Eureka Stud Synd (Mgrs: C & S McAlpine), River Junction Synd, J Schloss, J Riddle, A Dunemann & B Siemsen
3rd 17. SRIKANDI (AUS) 3yo F
DUBAWI (IRE) - RAINING (AUS)
GLEN BOSS
CIARON MAHER
$6
51kg
T A Mobbs, P Tsimiklis, T McGrath, J M Bridges, J Bridges, A J Sinclair, S Gillespie, S Loughnan, D J H Anderson, D S Purvis, Ms A Purvis, W Stapleton, L Lamude & C Ntzounas

Sales Information

4th 1. SPIRIT OF BOOM (AUS) 6yo H
SEQUALO (AUS) - TEMPLE SPIRIT (AUS)
MICHAEL RODD
TONY GOLLAN
$9
58kg
5th 9. SACRED STAR (AUS) 4yo G
FLYING SPUR (AUS) - IRISH NOVA (NZ)
TIMOTHY BELL
TONY PIKE
$21
53.5kg

Sales Information

6th 18. HUCKLEBUCK (AUS) 3yo G
ELVSTROEM (AUS) - KONDARI (NZ)
DOM TOURNEUR
PHILLIP STOKES
$6.5
51kg

Sales Information

7th 2. REBEL DANE (AUS) 4yo H
CALIFORNIA DANE (AUS) - TEXARCANA (AUS)
TOMMY BERRY
GARY PORTELLI
$10
56.5kg

Sales Information

8th 6. SMOKIN' JOEY (AUS) 6yo G
ENCOSTA DE LAGO (AUS) - DALZING (AUS)
BEN MELHAM
WEZ HUNTER
$15
55.5kg
9th 16. SCORPIO QUEEN (AUS) 5yo M
CHOISIR (AUS) - LYFORD (AUS)
JIM BYRNE
KRIS LEES
$101
52.5kg

Sales Information

10th 4. RED TRACER (AUS) 6yo M
DANE SHADOW (AUS) - KISMA (AUS)
NASH RAWILLER
CHRIS WALLER
$7
56kg
11th 3. FAMOUS SEAMUS (NZ) 5yo G
ELUSIVE CITY (USA) - CLINIQUE (NZ)
RYAN WIGGINS
NOEL MAYFIELD-SMITH
$21
56kg

Sales Information

12th 10. KNOYDART (AUS) 4yo G
MORE THAN READY (USA) - REGAL CHEER (AUS)
KERRIN MCEVOY
JOHN O'SHEA
$8
53.5kg
13th 12. VELROSSO (AUS) 5yo G
GENERAL NEDIYM (AUS) - HOOTENANNY (AUS)
LARRY CASSIDY
CHRIS WALLER
$61
52.5kg

Sales Information

14th 13. EMBLEMS (AUS) 4yo G
SHAMARDAL (USA) - CARA BELLA (GB)
CHAD SCHOFIELD
JOHN O'SHEA
$31
52.5kg
15th 14. REPARATIONS (AUS) 5yo G
EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) - HOLD TO RANSOM (USA)
DANIEL MOOR
ANTHONY FREEDMAN
$41
52.5kg
16th 11. BELLTONE (AUS) 8yo G
BRAHMS (USA) - BELLE SALIERI (AUS)
EDDIE WILKINSON
KELSO WOOD
$81
53.5kg
17th 8. CONSERVATORIUM (AUS) 6yo G
ROYAL ACADEMY (USA) - BELONG TO MADAM (AUS)
JOE BOWDITCH
GARY KENNEWELL
$31
54kg
18th 15. LUCKY HUSSLER (AUS) 4yo G
HUSSON (ARG) - TALAQ DANCER (AUS)
JASON TAYLOR
KENT FLEMING
$151
52.5kg

Sales Information

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