THE ACE IN THE RANKS
Maddysen prepares for first Weetwood runner
With just a little over a year of training experience, Maddysen Sears is preparing for her most exciting day in the ranks.
Co-training with father Tony, Maddy will saddle her first runners in the Weetwood Handicap and Toowoomba Cup.
“I’m pretty excited about it. Last year I was working for dad, whereas this year we’re in partnership,” she said.
“We’ve got some really nice horses racing on the day.
“Weetwood week is probably my most enjoyable week of the year. I really look forward to it.
“It’s such a social event.
There’s something on every day and the club does a good job in getting everyone excited for the weekend.”
Tony broke through for an elusive Weetwood in 2016 with Choice Bro, and Maddy is hoping last year’s runner-up Tycoon Ace can go one better.
“My earliest memories would be on the end of the lead strapping horses,” she said.
“I unfortunately wasn’t here the year Choice Bro
A fresh new look is set to welcome the second season of the Toowoomba Basketball League.
The draft-style competition, aimed at revolutionising men’s and women’s A-grade basketball in Toowoomba, had its first season prematurely ended in March this year due to COVID.
Pushing ahead from that disappointment, the Toowoomba Basketball Association has sourced sponsorship and new uniforms ahead of the season start next month.
“It’s a whole new step for men’s and women’s top-league basketball in Toowoomba that we’ve never had before,” TBA president Jamie Biggar said.
“We’ve moved completely away from the club format. We’ve got six sponsors on board which we’re really happy with. They obviously believe in the process.”
The competition made an impact with its first season at the start of the year, and Biggar hopes for it to continue to grow.
“The standard was great and the players loved it,” he said.
“The referees loved it because it was faster and tested their skills. Even the scorebench were singing its praising because they were interested in watching the game.
“It’s a great chance for the up and comers of Toowoomba basketball to show their skills.”
As the Mountaineers QSL campaign wraps up in the coming weeks, Biggar said nominations will continue to come in.
“Everyone is interested to see who goes with the number one draft pick,” he said.
“We’ve already got multiple nominations done. We’re waiting for the end of the QSL and then those players will nominate.
“Everyone is keeping their cards close to their chest as to who their number one pick will be.
“As was proved in term one, sometimes a team full of the best players doesn’t necessarily mean you win.”
The competition gets underway for 10 weeks starting on October 12, before resuming in term one next year.
sean.teuma@thechronicle.com.au