Hard choice for new star
CONNECTIONS and the Alex Malliff stable will have a big decision to make over the next few weeks about the immediate future of exciting youngster Cleaver Greene.
Mareeba trainer Malliff’s Cleaver Greene smashed a small field in the QTIS TwoYears-Old Handicap (1200m) to collect his third career victory yesterday afternoon at Cluden Park.
Locally owned by Josh Oliver and Helen Torpy, the stylish grey could not have been more impressive in the damp conditions, jumping in front and never looking like being run down in the opener.
After six trips to the races since February in his first preparation, Malliff is weighing up if he should send the grey gelding to the paddock or keep him ticking along towards the $35,000 Northern Classic 2YO feature race over 1200m on June 18.
“Yeah, that’s the way I’m thinking at this point,” Malliff said about potentially sending Cleaver Greene out for a spell.
“The owner might want to push on to the Classic now though as that was quite an impressive win.
“Maybe we will just put him in the paddock for 10 days and then re-evaluate.”
Cleaver Greene put 6.5 lengths on the rest of the field in his sixth career start under the guidance of top rider Bonnie Thomson.
Later in the day, Tablelands apprentice hoop Rachel Shred fell as they jumped in the third event on Keighley Sun for Home Hill trainer Ricky Gudge.
Shred, who works for leading trainer Janel Ryan, was conscious after the fall and suffered a right leg injury and was taken to Townsville hospital.
It is the 22-year-old Shred’s second bad race fall in recent months after she suffered a wrist injury in Cooktown last year, putting her on the sidelines for just under four months.
Meanwhile, the hierarchy of the Cairns Amateurs are set to meet next week and decide the fate of the popular FNQ racing carnival for 2020.
The Cairns Amateurs, which annually runs over two days in the weeks after Cairns Jockey Club’s Cup carnival, was curiously left out of Racing Queensland’s feature racing for Central and North Queensland release earlier this week.
CJC will stage the Cairns Cup, Newmarket Handicap and Magic Millions Daintree Guineas on August 28, three weeks later than what was originally slated.
The Cairns Amateurs are set to make a decision and announcement on the future of their carnival soon.
At this stage, patrons are not permitted on racecourses during the coronavirus crisis, which is likely to continue over the next few weeks to months.