THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN - TOP LOCAL HOOPS MOVE TO GRAB THEIR SHARE OF THE GLORY

By Graham Potter | Sunday, May 3, 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.

The $2 million Stradbroke is the jewel in the crown of the 2015 Queensland Racing Winter Carnival.

It is one of the reasons why so many visiting trainers have arrived so early this year. As mentioned in this column last week, the task facing most local trainers and jockeys is not only how to beat the visitors but how to get a run against them such is the quality and quantity of the horses they are bringing.

For some local jockeys however there is a simple way around that problem and it comes in an old adage, ‘if you can’t beat them, join them.’

In other words, some smart local jockeys are jumping on smart horses from down south, whenever an opportunity arises at least, and taking full advantage of that situation.

When his regular star ride Buffering was sidelined through injury and removed from any carnival action, top Sunshine Coast hoop Damian Browne was free to accept other rides for the carnival’s leading feature races.

He was on the Ciaron Maher trained Srikandi when it won the Group 2 Victory Stakes at the Gold Coast last week and is quoted as saying he will do whatever it takes (weight-wise) to stay on a horse heading for the Stradbroke.

“Srikandi looks to be the benchmark of the horses going through the main three races, the BTC Cup, the Doomben 10 000 and the Stradbroke,” said Browne, who has great confidence in Srikandi’s trainer to get the mare through to the big one in race winning trim.

“It (the Gold Coast win) was a terrific training effort by Ciaron Maher,” continued Browne. To give the mare that much time off (Srikandi had not raced since last year’s Stradbroke) and then to bring her back so well just showed how much understanding he has of his horses.”

So here is a dual state combination that could be well worth following.

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Jimmy Byrne wasn’t going to miss out either. He teamed up with the visiting Hawkes’ training partnership to also claim a Group 2 victory at the Gold Coast when saluting on Leebaz in the A.D. Hollindale Stakes.

Not that, as a jockey, you always have to go looking, or will even find, rides from visiting stables.

The point is that those top jockeys who might be in demand can widen their options and, if they make the right decisions, they can boost their fortunes as Browne and Byrne have shown early in the carnival piece by forging a partnership outside the box.

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Reigning Sunshine Coast champion trainer Stuart Kendrick is to be congratulated on taking out the Prime Minister’s Cup at the Gold Coast on the opening day of the carnival.

Apart from Browne’s success on Srikandi, Kendrick was the only other Sunshine Coast jockey or trainer to score on the big day and it was an important success for a trainer who is gradually but steadily raising the bar on his level of success.

Interestingly enough Kendrick’s winner Neo was also ridden by Jim Byrne who clearly knew when to stay on a local runner.

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