Hoop is up for it again at Innisfail
IT has been an up and down couple of weeks for Cairns jockey Kirk Stone and he is confident more “ups” are on the way at Innisfail today.
The 47-year-old booted home Phantom Sox for local trainer Ross Fransen at the huge odds of $61 on Thursday afternoon at Townsville.
But, earlier this month, one of his favourite horses, Barwon, trained by Rodney Miller, only just missed a start in the Cairns Cup, despite beating eventual winner We Just Love It on the same track last month.
“What can you do?” Stone said when asked about Barwon missing a start in the Cairns Cup. “If we had won at Townsville the start before the Cairns Cup, instead of running second, we would have been in.
“He got pushed out on the turn that day and only got beaten by a nostril in the end.”
After not getting a run at Cannon Park last Saturday, the seven-year-old gelding heads towards the $10,000 Open Handicap (1800m) today.
“I am pretty confident on him this week at Innisfail,” Stone said.
“It is a nice track with a bit of room and we should be able to put him in a decent position in the race.”
Stone has picked up five rides across the six races at Innisfail, with a number of winning chances.
Innisfail Turf Club president Mark Spagnolo is happy with the big fields nominated across the six races for Banana Industry race day this afternoon.
“We have some big, mostly full fields today and we have full fields for all but two races,” Spagnolo said.
“The track is in pristine condition – we’ve got good grass cover, and with the little bit of rain we’ve had, it should be just perfect. We have horses coming from near and far.”
Meanwhile, leading Tablelands hoop Wanderson D’Avila underwent wrist surgery yesterday after his fall at Townsville on Thursday.
“His next of kin have advised he is in good spirits,” Racing Queensland said in a statement.
D’Avila was set to ride at Innisfail this afternoon before the fall.