Red Mako cruises to win
RACING: The wait for favourite backers proved worth it when Red Mako ran up to her good hometrack form to post another Clifford Park victory on Saturday night.
The seven-race card was almost one hour late starting after no Racing Queensland vet had arrived on course for the meeting and then a track lighting problem further delayed the race-one jump.
But Red Mako ($3.20) took the lengthy wait in her stride with an all-the-way win for jockey Emma Ljung in the Pro-Clear Benchmark 65 Handicap (1300m).
The Red Dazzler four-year-old had a long neck to spare on the line from Boiling ($4.20) with resuming Stormy Grey ($11) another 11⁄2 lengths back third.
Red Mako’s win maintained her perfect record over the 1300m course of three wins from three starts.
Winning trainer Tony Sears will now consider a break for Red Mako whose only recent blemish was a a well-beaten effort over 1660m on a rain-affected Ipswich track.
“She is hopeless on wet tracks and we tried her over a mile that day which I don’t think she gets on any type of going,” Sears said.
“1350m looks about as far as she gets but she tries hard and she’s built a good record here.
“It’s not easy for a filly, just turned four now, to carry 58kg against those sort of horses.
“I thought about trying to claim on her but Emma got the job done nicely.”
“Emma and Nozi (Tomizawa) do a lot of work for me, and I’m happy to have her on my horses any time.”
Ljung completed a winning double on the card when she teamed with the Ben Currie stable to score aboard resuming Carpe Noctem ($5) in the Living Turf QTIS ThreeYear-Old Maiden Plate (1300m).
Carpe Noctem broke through at start number three with a halfneck win over stablemate Trooper Kelly ($1.65).
Carpe Noctem was one of three winners on the program for Currie who also scored with Cool Drafts ($5) and Isn’t She Elegant ($2.25 fav).
Sears and jockey Nozi Tomizawa were also in the multiple winner’s list after they combined to take out the A & R Refrigeration Class 5 Handicap (1100m) with $2.05 favourite Dazzling Red.
Tomizawa was also successful on the Patrick Sexton-trained Cliveden ($9) in the Happily Ever After Brendan and Georgie Entires and Geldings Class 2 Handicap (1000m).
Trainer Michael Nolan and jockey Ruby Ride completed the night’s winning muster when Sireeanna ($5.50) resumed with a 11⁄4 length victory in the Pryde’s Easifeed Maiden Handicap (1100m).
Photo: Kevin Farmer