Country cups aim for Barwon – if they’re on
IF THE FNQ country cups are run later in 2020, consistent stayer Barwon will be ready.
The Rodney Miller-trained bay gelding returned from a break in stunning fashion yesterday afternoon at Cannon Park, finishing over the top of the field to score in the Benchmark 65 Handicap (1400m).
The eight-year-old had a poor fresh record before yesterday, winning on just one occasion from seven attempts, but quality Townsville rider Bonnie Thomson timed her run down the outside to perfection to get Barwon’s nose down on the line.
The two-time winner of the
Magic Millions Up and Coming Stayers Series was set to be targeted at country cups later this year, such as Gordonvale, Innisfail and the like, but with non-TAB racing up in the air going forward, the stable are unsure where he will now head. Racing Queensland have scrapped non-TAB racing in the north in the short term, focusing on the new zone racing at Townsville and Cairns most Thursday afternoons to limit the spread of coronavirus.
Miller was smiling post-race yesterday afternoon, bringing up career win No.5 with his evergreen stayer.
“The horse has been working well; stable rider Scott Gittos has been riding him in work, but when the horse is on, he is on,” Miller said. “He was really switched on today. You cannot fight the horse; you just have to let him roll, and I said to Bonnie, ‘whatever you do, once he wants to get going, you need to go with him’. I was not surprised he ran well.”
Miller, the former jockeyturned-trainer, has accepted that Barwon is not up to the standard of a Cairns or Townsville Cup, and was going to target the bush distance races later this preparation.
“That is what we are aiming for, but now they may not have them,” Miller said.
“We will just go with it from here; we are just happy with the win here today.”
Barwon won at the massive odds of $38 and as part of a winning treble for the in-form Thomson.
The Stephen Massinghamtrained Cash Raider finished just behind Barwon, making it four close efforts in north Queensland without yet breaking through for his first victory.