THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN - SOUTHERNERS ARRIVE WITH THE INTENT TO PLUNDER

By Graham Potter | Sunday, April 26, 2015

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily.

Things just got harder for Queensland trainers and jockeys.

The ‘Southern Invasion’ of the Queensland Winter Racing Carnival isn’t coming in waves. It has arriving all at once.

There were more than twenty visiting trainers or training partnership represented at the Gold Coast yesterday, including the likes of Waller, Waterhouse, Snowden, Hawkes, Cummings, O’Shea, Connors, Pride, Kent and Hickmott, to name a few, as well as a fair New Zealand representation.

Then there are the visiting jockeys ... Damian Oliver, Glen Boss, High Bowman, Blake Shinn and Kerrin McEvoy, amongst others.

In fact visiting trainers were responsible for fourteen out of the eighteen runners carded in the Group 2, Hollindale Stakes. It was almost like ‘Sydney comes to Brisbane’ with Waller saddling no less than four starters in the race.

Suddenly the playing field personnel is top heavy with outstanding talent as the best Australia has to offer comes to Queensland in search of winter riches.

Is this solid, early commitment from Southern trainers because of the restructured carnival? Or is the overriding factor the lure of the dollar?

Remember the Stradbroke alone is worth $2 million this year!

Either way, the fact is the visitors are here with intent to plunder.

This scope of this ‘invasion’ clearly makes it difficult for locals to not only beat the visitors, but also to get a run against them ... the nine time winner Hopfgarten, who was only a fourth emergency in the Hollindale, being a case in point, although he certainly is not alone in this category.

All of those who miss out are compromised to some degree or other. They could come up short of a run next time or, even worse, particular horses might have missed the chance of making the field for a big race for which they had targeted.

In essence though, it comes down to what racing really should always be about ... a test of strength.

For local trainers and jockeys the carnival with big race candidates, the carnival represents just that.

Those with a genuine contender will go on to fight the good fight while some other dreams will be exposed as being just a dream and will fall short of the mark.

There is no doubt that the eight weeks of the carnival, weather willing, will be an exciting time for racegoers.

The change of pace from the normal, regular routine to the more supercharged climate of the carnival, watching the best riders do battle on horses prepared by the best trainers, is poised to be a delight to all racing enthusiasts.

***************************************************************************************************

It the midst of all the pomp and ceremony of the coming weeks, keep an eye on Sunshine Coast apprentice Luke Tarrant’s bid to win the Brisbane Jockeys’ Premiership.

Tarrant’s once sizable lead at the top of the table has been whittled down in recent weeks. The pressure is on, but as Tarrant says, “My advantage is that I’ve got the score on the board, but Jimmy (Byrne) is chasing like mad. I’ll be in the finish but the prospect of winning the Premiership is not looking as good as it once was.”

Watch this space.

More articles