New honour for late Pat O’Shea
RACING: Queensland Racing Hall of Fame bestowed its’ highest honour on former Clifford Park chief race caller, the late Pat O’Shea, on Sunday night.
O’Shea, who passed away in 2015, was represented at the awards in Brisbane by his son, James. James accepted the award on behalf of the family, paying tribute to his father.
Toowoomba Turf Club Chairman Kent Woodford said the induction was extremely well-received by the audience at the 2019 Queensland Thoroughbred Racing Awards (QTRA) in Brisbane.
“Everyone loved Pat. He lived and breathed racing, especially at Clifford Park. It was a fitting tribute to Pat and the Toowoomba Turf Club was so proud to witness the event alongside Pat’s loving family,” Woodford said.
The annual feature race bearing O’Shea’s name – the Pat O’Shea Plate – will be raced at Clifford Park this Saturday. The race is the traditional first two-year-old race for the Australasian season.
The O’Shea family are holding a dinner inside Clifford Park’s Clive Berghofer Grande Atrium on the night, raising money for St Andrew’s Hospital.
The Darling Downs was well-represented at the QTRA on the weekend.
Clifford Park apprentice jockey Baylee Nothdurft picking up two awards – the Queensland Apprentice Jockey of the Year and the Queensland Metropolitan Apprentice Jockey of the Year.
Local super-sire Spirit Of Boom, from Eureka Stud at Cambooya, was awarded the gong for Queensland Stallion of the Year.
Further, former Dalbyraised trainer John Size – who is Hong Kong-based – was also inducted into the Queensland Trainers’ Hall of Fame. Size has been training in Hong Kong since 2001 and has won numerous Trainer Premierships and accolades.
“This just goes to show that the Darling Downs is punching well above its’ weight in horse racing,” Woodford said.
“It was wonderful to see our area and contributors rewarded for their unwavering support of the sport we love.”