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Meeting In Review – Monday 1 April 2024 New
Date: 03-Apr-2024
Plenty of people took advantage of the public holiday by attending Monday’s Easter Races at Ipswich and they were rewarded with some quality racing.
Cejay Graham has had a breakout season so it should not come as a surprise that she helped herself to a winning riding double.
The apprentice successfully piloted the Michael Nolan-trained Astin Lane in the QTIS Two-Year-Old Maiden Plate over 800m.
The Vancouver filly was heavily backed despite facing the starter for the first time under race conditions.
She showed plenty of early speed to find the fence and lead from an outside gate before keeping the chasing Paleface Ringo at bay for a 0.61 length win.
Graham registered her second win of the day in the 1666m Benchmark 60 Handicap aboard Who Ordered Dafish.
The Kevin Kemp-trained three-year-old gelding was unlucky last start at Eagle Farm when severely impeded by a riderless horse but bounced back in a big way on Monday.
Once he got clear air in the straight, he let down powerfully to easily win by 2.75 lengths and defy a slight market drift.
It was a memorable day for Dale Smith who enjoyed his first winner as a trainer.
Smith is no stranger to the winner’s circle having ridden over 1000 horses to victory as a jockey but his first as a conditioner with Puzzle Designer will be at the top of his list of favourite racing moments.
The four-year-old gelding was having his seventh start when he lined up in the Maiden Handicap over 1350m.
After a slow getaway, Boris Thornton drove forward to settle midfield on the fence.
As they fanned wide entering the straight, Thornton saved ground on the inside before his mount did the rest, powering to the line to win by just under a length.
Michael Hellyer put in a solid nomination for ride of the day when he guided Subaqua to victory in the opening event of the day.
The popular jockey took the Bevan Laming-trained son of Manhattan Rain straight to the front and controlled the race beautifully.
He gave his rivals the slip at the top of the straight and timed his run perfectly with the gelding defying the late charge of his rivals to win by half a length.
Chakra Boy returned in fine style for Deagon trainer Sharryn Livingstone in the Class 1 Handicap over 800m.
The gutsy gelding led from an inside gate and pulled out plenty in the closing stages when challenged strongly by Russian Pins to win by an eyelash.
The win took his record over the Ipswich scamper to two wins and three thirds from six starts.
Favourite backers ended the day on a high with the heavily backed Xpresso ($1.55) winning his first start for David Vandyke in the Class 4 Handicap before Talk Time ($1.65) romped home in the final race of the day.
Our next meeting will be Wednesday the 10th of April when we host the first of three consecutive midweek metropolitan programs.
By Craig Sheppard
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