Sizzalating brilliantly won the Blackall Tyre Centre 1200 metres Class B Handicap by nine lengths and maintained its perfect record in the Central West with three wins from three starts for Barcaldine trainer Todd Austin and apprentice jockey Alisha Ross.
The sizzling gelding created a lot of interest last year when it won a maiden race at Blackall by 11 lengths and then won at the following start at Barcaldine.
The win attracted more admirers as the money suggested that Emerald trained Flash Hombre was the horse to beat but Ross was able to settle Sizzalating behind leader Coupe De Ville until nearing the home straight where she released the brakes and careered away to the easiest of wins over Coupe De Ville and Hot Chocolate with Flash Hombre fourth last Saturday.
’-type: imageThe sizzling progeny seemed to relish the track conditions in the west with its star open company galloper Bollente making a strong comeback at Mount Isa on Saturday with a fast finishing second in the Open Plate.
These two sizzling offspring alone will give racegoers plenty of interest in 2021.
Blackall trainer/jockey David Rewald book ended the program as a trainer when Granola State, ridden by David, won the Schulters Bakery Class 2 Handicap 1050 metres and You’re Not Wanted, Brooke Richardson, took out the final event on the program.
Granola State is a good example of the mixed fortunes in racing as owner Rodney Hay picked up the Cape Blanco gelding at a tried sale for $300 when previously as a yearling $300,000 was paid.
It was the second win for Hay with the gelding after previously winning at Jundah last year.
Rewald bided his time in the run parking off the leaders before producing Granola State for a final burst in the straight winning by a neck over Our Say with a neck to early leader Rural Rebel in third.
Jockey Brooke Richardson had to wait to the final race, the Blackall IGA Benchmark 60 Handicap 1200 metres, to boot home her first winner for the year and she did so with a determined ride on You’re Not Wanted, which since October has recorded three wins and two placings from five starts.
Richardson tracked leader Zorro Macho into the straight, but it was only in the final 50 metres that she gained the ascendancy with Louie The Legend the run of the race rattling home into third after almost dislodging apprentice Cody Collis at the start and losing considerable ground.
All three placegetters in this race look to have good campaigns ahead of them.
The Blackall races always produce a promising maiden winner and Saturday was no exception with the Wayne Baker trained Our Vera winning the Spinks Concreting Maiden Plate 1050 metres by four lengths from Disco Lights and Mount Benny a further ten lengths away third.
Our Vera was having its first start for the Baker stable and gave nothing else a chance in running leading clearly from start to finish to give Alisha Ross the first of her riding double on the day.
Queensland’s premier country trainer Bevan (Billy) Johnson combined with stable jockey Dakota Graham to win the Barcoo Butchery Open Handicap 1050 metres with race fit gelding Best Guess.
Graham was able to track leader Prince Planet to the home turn before edging clear of that galloper to win by a half-length with Benchi Pegasus third.
Best Guess is building an imposing record with nine wins and ten minor placings from forty starts and the stable may have another worthy candidate for this year’s Battle of the Bush Series.
Runner up Prince Planet is one to watch at upcoming meetings.
The inaugural Barkers Newsagency Central West Jockeys Premiership also kicked off at Blackall with jockeys competing at all Central West race meetings in 2021 for the honour of being crowned premier jockey and receiving lucrative prizemoney.
With points allocated on a 3-2-1 basis for wins and placings the table at the end of Saturday, Alisha Ross sits on six points followed by Paul Randall on five points with Emma Bell, Dakota Graham and Brooke Richardson all on four points.
This premiership will be hotly contested in 2021 and interest now moves to Barcaldine on Saturday, March 13, followed by the Longreach Races on Saturday, March 20.
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