Sport
23 October, 2024
‘Fresh’ horses dominate at Mount Isa TAB program
Six horses who avoided the Cloncurry Cup meeting came out on top.
The spoils were shared among trainers and jockeys at Mount Isa on Monday, although one theme quickly emerged at Buchanan Park – back horses who didn’t race at Cloncurry 10 days earlier.
As short-priced horses continued to falter on the back-up from the Cup card, it became clear that the rock-hard surface in Cloncurry may have taken its toll.
Just one horse managed to race at Cloncurry and win – the heavily
backed Restrictions ($2.15) for Richmond trainer Shryn Royes in the Class 3 Plate (1000m).
Many others performed well below expectations.
It was a day for the apprentice jockeys as Bella Youngberry, Chloe Lowe and Tom Orr claimed six of the races, while Nor Yadi was the only senior jockey to win, on the Peter Inwood-trained The Last Crusade ($8).
That broke a long drought for the Mount Isa trainer, who enjoyed his first winner since March.
Youngberry had two winners for her boss Bevan Johnson – Room For Square ($10) in the Maiden Plate and Bendolirra ($3.30) in the Benchmark 50 – while her third came for Royes on Restrictions.
Orr had a double after picking up the ride on the The Carpenter ($2.50) for Cloncurry trainer Terry Hall in the Les Huddy Memorial Bracelet Open Handicap (1200m).
This came about after colleague Landan Sykes missed his flight due to traffic from a car accident near Brisbane Airport, according to the stewards report.
The 3kg claiming Orr then had a big win aboard the Denise Ballard-prepared Metal Bar ($12), who looked to return to his best form with a tough win in the Benchmark 65 over 1450m.
Metal Bar was last year’s boom horse but had “a number of issues” this year, according to Ballard, who was thrilled to see the galloper back in the winners’ circle.
And it wouldn’t have been a Mount Isa meeting in 2024 without a Lowe victory.
The young gun produced one of the rides of the day with her win on old-timer Hi Zero ($2.90) in the Benchmark 45 over 900m.
After firing out of barriers to have a handy early lead, Lowe was happy to withdraw from a speed battle and eased her mount, before pulling out in the straight and waltzing on by her rivals.
The next Mount Isa meeting will be held on November 11.