Breeding latest

Oakwood Farm is still celebrating the first Group One victory for their sire Top Echelon after his star sprinter, Riverlad, won Australia’s toughest 1400m race – The Stradbroke Handicap.

River Lad also gave his trainer Natalie McCall (pictured celebrating with Riverlad, courtesy Dan Costello Racing) the biggest victory of her career by scoring the tough win at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

River Lad was slowly able to bridge the gap between himself and Temple Of Boom and the Top Echelon gelding hit the front in the shadows of the post to score a narrow victory from Temple Of Boom, while the well-backed Srikandi was third.

Jockey Damien Oliver admitted that he did not know a great deal about River Lad before today’s race, but was delighted to score his maiden win in the Stradbroke Handicap after finishing second on Falvelon in 2002.

“He is a tough Queenslander and it is a great thrill to win Queensland’s biggest race and I couldn’t be happier,” Oliver said.

Congratulations to our QTIS Premiers for the month of May.

Executed, by Warhead top the 2yo table after collecting $19,300 in QTIS bonuses in May with Craiglea Ivy, by Royston Stud sire Longhorn the runner up with $17,000 and In His Element, by Glenlogan Park sire Red Element rounding our the trifecta.

Craiglea Ivy’s sensational efforts for the month saw him surge up the Seasonal table for 2yos into fifth position. There’s been no change to the top four – No Problem, Aimee, Celestial Dragon, Sarisara, Setfire to Therain, Stroak and I Am Boss the leaders.

It’s also thanks to Craiglea Ivy that a new face has taken the honours on the QTIS Trainers table for 2yos for May. Young gun, Krystle Johnston (pictured, courtesy Trackside Photography) has quickly made a name for herself in her first few weeks as a trainer and is in the number one position after banking $36,300 in QTIS bonuses in May. Toowoomba’s Michael Nolan is second with $17,000 and Gillian Heinrich is third with $14,000.

Tony Sears remains at the top of the Trainer’s table for Seasonal Earnings for 2yos with $112,200 in the bank in QTIS bonuses, Peter Fleming is second with $110,600 and Bryan Guy remains in third with $91,300.

In the 3yos, Touch’n’Go was the best performer for May collecting $17,000 while Outstrip, by Clear Mountain Fairview sire Outback Prince, took second spot with $10,800 and Do a Dabl Doya close behind with $10,500.

John Manzelmann was the most successful trainer of QTIS 3yos last month, banking $17,800 in bonuses with Robert Sutton snapping at his heels on $17,000 and Garnett Taylor rounding out the top three with $12,100.

There’s been no changes to the top order in the 3yo Seasonal table for either Runners or Trainers.

There were 15 QTIS races across the State this week, worth $129,000 in bonus prizemoney.

Ellie Belle (pictured, Dan Costello Racing) took out the $27,000 QTIS 3yo Maiden Plate at Ipswich on Wednesday. Her prizemoney jumped from $11,050 to $18,050 thanks to QTIS.

Eligible QTIS winners saw their earnings more than double from $6,500 to $15,000 at Mackay, Kilcoy, Rockhampton and Dalby. The second placegetters took home $4,300 instead of $2,000 and the QTIS bonus took third place to $2,200 rather than $1,000.

Country circuits once again featured prominently with $5,000 QTIS bonuses at Barcaldine, Gayndah, Injune, Mount Garnet and Mount Isa.

The 2014 Magic Millions National Sale came to close on the Gold Coast on Friday with a general session of yearlings as well as racehorses.

The session, with almost $1 million traded, rounded out a highly successful sale with records broken across many areas.

The yearling section of the catalogue was topped by a Dane Shadow filly who sold to Magic Millions as agent for $40,000. The filly will join the stables of a leading Brisbane trainer for her racetrack career.

The TBQA Committee would like to pass on their condolences to the family and friends of legendary broadcaster, Wayne Wilson. (pictured, Dan Costello Racing)

Wayne passed away on Friday night after a fifteen year battle with cancer.

“Wayne was highly regarded within the industry and always had time for others. He will be greatly missed,” said TBQA President Basil Nolan.

He was inducted into the Stradbroke Hall of Fame on Saturday as a tribute to the race he loved so much and had called 29 times, including 28 straight from 1983 to 2010.

Wayne is survived by his wife Sally of 47 years, their two children and four grandchildren.