THE MICHAEL NOLAN STABLE IS THE BIG WINNER AS A SECOND SUCCESSIVE MEETING DOESN'T GO THE DISTANCE

By Graham Potter | Friday, July 2, 2021

The meeting at Ipswich today was abandoned with only four of the ten scheduled races being completed. The meeting lasted two races more than the meeting did at Kilcoy yesterday but, for the second day in a row, a meeting in Queensland had to be abandoned, meaning that no less than twelve races have been lost over the last two days.

Trainer Michael Nolan, who won one of the two races at Kilcoy yesterday, claimed two of the four races completed at Ipswich … so his stable has been the big winner during this very disruptive phase of the racing schedule in the Sunshine State.

This is how the Ipswich meeting unfolded:
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Gala Rain, who finished a well beaten favourite at Gympie in his previous start, turned his form around when winning for the first time in ten attempts in a Fillies And Mares Maiden Handicap over 1350m.

The Lindsay Gough trained mare, who was easy to back at $10, has clearly been a work in progress having had almost as many trials (8) as races and, on this occasion, she was obviously better suited to the heavy 10 surface than the majority of her opposition.

After always being up with the speed Tiffani Brooker sent Gala Rain about her business in the home straight and she held her advantage in fairly comfortable fashion all the way to the line.

The $1.90 favourite Daulat Machtigamor (John Holcombe – Mark Du Plessis) did make up ground late to finish in a 0.40 length second place. No other runner got within less than three lengths of the winner.
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The $1.95 Hinged proved too strong for his five rivals in a QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap over 1350m.

Hinged, who has yet to run bad race with three wins and two runner-up finishes from five starts, was always in control here, chasing to the front from the break and once there, Jim Byrne dictated the way the race unfolded to his advantage. The commentator called Hinged, ‘in control on a slow speed’ and ‘a casual speed being set by the heavily backed, odd-on favourite.’

That about summed it up.

The Love Of Mary ($13) did look like she might threaten briefly halfway up the straight, but Byrne had kept plenty in reserve and Hinged duly extended her lead to score by 1.30 lengths at the line.
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Strictly Physical, a Darren Hansen trained $41 chance, took no prisoners in the Colts, Geldings and Entires Maiden Handicap over 1350m.

The three-year-old was second up here and jumped from the second widest draw, but he might light work of those challenges, scooting to the lead under the deliberate urgings of Bobby El-Issa, who rode the son of Super One as if he was the best horse in the race … and, on the day, that is exactly what he proved to be.

Some might have thought that others would come into the race in the home straight, but Strictly Physical actually kicked further away in the run home and it was only the fact that El-Issa took his foot off the accelerator in the closing stage that allowed the second placed Torowoto to get within 2.30 lengths of the winner.

The $41 price came about via the fact that Strictly Physical finished unsighted down the track in his two previous starts. This was his first attempt on a heavy surface.
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Princess Bojack gave trainer Michael Nolan his third winner from his last three starters, and she also gave the Nolan / Jim Byrne team a double at the meeting when she took out the QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap dash over 800m.

Princess Bojack, a daughter of Flying Artie, had already given notice of her above average potential when winning well on debut in town back in October last year.

After a three month break she then contested the Listed Calaway Gal where she finished fifth in a race won by the very smart Sweet Dolly. Her two runs, subsequent to the Calaway Gal outing, which included a run in the $2 million Magic Million Two-Year-Old Classic, were very disappointing.

She did show to fair advantage when resuming at Toowoomba recently before putting this win on the board … signs that maybe her form-graph is on the rise again.
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After concerns being raised about visibility, stewards decided to abandon the meeting.

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