Say Haya pounces for Baylee in stable debut
A charmed race run for leading Queensland apprentice Baylee Nothdurft helped pave the way for Eagle Farm filly Say Haya to make a winning debut for the Tony Gollan stable at Clifford Park yesterday.
Saya Haya ($4.80) enjoyed a perfect trailing run in transit behind Devil’s Temptation and General Witt before asserting her superiority in the home straight to score by 11⁄4 lengths in the Happy 30th Birthday Alexandra QTIS Three-YearOld Class 1 Handicap (1000m)..
Resuming Devil’s Temptation ($4) held on strongly for second with $3 favourite Secondofmay coming from last on the home turn to be a length back third.
Nothdurft said Say Haya had put the writing on the wall for a return to the winner’s list in her lead-up work after recently joining the Gollan yard.
“She jumped good, relaxed good and hit the line well,” Nothdurt said.
“She only came to Tony’s a couple of weeks ago.
“She’s done nothing but please us in her work since arriving and has followed that up with a good effort today.”
Nothdurft made it two wins for the day after linking with his former boss Lindsay Hatch aboard upset winner My Belly Button ($12) in the Queensland Electrical Solutions Class 1 Handicap (1200m).
My Belly Button grabbed his second career win from 11 outings with a strong-finishing half-length victory over Phoenix Flyer ($9.50).
“It’s good to come up and win a race for Hatchy,” Nothdurft said.
“This horse is still a bit immature in the head.
“But there is plenty of upside to him and he can continue winning around this level.”
■ JOCKEYS Carly Frater and Nathan Thomas were transferred to hospital for observations after both were dislodged from their mounts Catch Me Latar and Strike Sika on the home turn during the running of the Enterprise Legal Benchmark 62 Handicap (2150m).
The race was won by the Kevin Kemp-trained Talapus ($2.70 fav) for jockey Emma Ljung.
■ The plan went perfectly to script for Toowoomba trainer Jackie Crompton and her family when Ritchford charged to an emotional victory at Tara on Saturday in the race named in memory of her late father.
Ritchford — a recent stable purchase — raced to a 51⁄2-length win over $3.20 favourite Splitz for jockey Cecily Eaton in the Western Downs Regional Council/Ken Dowling Memorial Country CC Qualifier/Tara Cup (1400m).
Crompton’s father Ken Dowling, who passed away in May this year, was a longstanding trainer based at Tara where his wife Rhonda is the current race club secretary.
“We bought him (Ritchford) specifically to have a starter in the race,” Crompton told the Dalby Herald.
“I was just hoping that he would race well because we had so many family here today.
“It's nice when they can race well while they're here, but to win it, I just couldn't believe it.”