Doyle’s trip well worth it

TEENAGE apprentice jockey Thomas Doyle will not forget his first drive out to Oak Park anytime soon.

The Rockhampton-based hoop scooped three of the 10 races across the weekend at the dirt track, including the coveted Lyndhurst Shield for prolific country Queensland trainer John Manzelmann.

The 19-year-old only commenced his race riding in February of this year and yesterday branded the trip to Oak Park the best of his young career.

In the $20,000 Lyndhurst Shield over the 1600m journey, Captains Way blew away the field by almost three lengths from the Ronald Finch-trained Slade Amigos.

“It is definitely one of the biggest ones I have won,” Doyle said.

“Being a feature a race, it was very good to win. To get the three winners over the weekend, it was really cool.”

The triple triumph from eight rides at Oak Park lifts Doyle’s career win tally to nine for the three-kilogram claiming apprentice.

The quiet teenager was driving a horse float from Oak Park yesterday back to Central Queensland and was pleased with the way the four-year-old gelding performed in the Lyndhurst Shield.

“John was confident with the horse,” Doyle said. “The race worked out really well for me, we jumped nice and were able to settle in behind horses.

“Once he built up the momentum, he kept coming and came home very strong.”

The Lyndhurst Shield also doubled as a Magic Millions Up and Coming Stayers Series race, with the Sharlee D’Avilatrained Beach Head finishing third, claiming one point to move two clear in the series.

The final day of this year’s series will be a Benchmark 70 over the Cup distance of 2100m at Cairns on July 17.

In Friday’s feature event, the Bruce Hunter-trained Bon Temps won the $17,000 Ladies Bracelet Open Handicap (1200m).