Long-term team chasing back-to-back Cleveland Bay's

By Jordan Gerrans

Lindsay Gough is eager to reward a loyal owner to his stable with a second straight Cleveland Bay Handicap this Saturday at Townsville but it is going to have to be with a different galloper to 2022.

Brisbane trainer Gough and majority owner Bill Mumford enjoyed the spoils of the famous North Queensland sprint race this time last year with veteran gelding Wren’s Day.

Now racing into his 10-year-old campaign, Wren’s Day was accepted to contest the Cleveland Bay Handicap of 2023 on Saturday but has been scratched after drawing barrier 18.

Wren’s Day’s stable mate Constant Flight did not fare much better when the starting positions were released as he is set to begin from 16.

Constant Flight’s alley will slightly improve when the emergencies and scratchings come out of the field.

The 72-year-old Mumford is the majority owner of both Wren’s Day and Constant Flight.

He was at Cluden Park on Cup day last year to celebrate the Cleveland Bay triumph with Wren’s Day.

The Brisbane-based Mumford has been a long-term client of the Gough barn, with the partnership racing horses together for the best part of 15 years.

“We have had a lot of winners over a lot of time together,” Gough said of Mumford.

“He always has one or two horses year in and year out with me and we have had a lot of fun together.

“He is a terrific bloke.

“Bill has raced horses over many years and would often go up to the Darwin carnival but now days we find this northern carnival through Queensland is the way to go.”

Gough grew up in North Queensland before relocating to Brisbane to prepare his team of horses.

Former jockey Shane Scriven rode horses Mumford owned in his days in the saddle and referred to the Brisbane businessman as a person who puts in plenty of time and money into the racing industry.

Mumford has raced gallopers with an array of trainers over the years and enjoyed Group 1 success with Reward For Effort in the Blue Diamond Stakes of 2009.

While all owners and trainers are chasing winners at the elite level, features on the provincial circuit are just as satisfying.

On top of the Cleveland Bay win last year, Gough and Mumford lifted the Mackay Newmarket of 2021 with Right Or Wrong.

Reigning Cleveland Bay champion Wren’s Day will be saved for the Cairns portion of the 2023 northern carnival.

The $75,000 Newmarket headlines racing from Cannon Park next Saturday before the Cairns Amateurs Sprint will be contested for the same prize money in early September.

“He has the Cairns Newmarket next week so we will probably look to do that,” Gough said.

“It is then three weeks to another Cairns meeting for the Amateurs, we will just wait and go there after his barrier for the Cleveland Bay."

Constant Flight has run into the money on three occasions in Central and North Queensland since late April without yet breaking through.

Gough believes the son of Written Tycoon was unlucky in the Mackay Newmarket – where he finished third – and thinks he would have been a big Cleveland Bay contender if he had drawn an alley.

Brisbane hoop Georgina Cartwright takes the ride in the 1300 metre sprint.

“We will leave it up Georgina and hope it pans out,” Gough said.

“He needs to roll forward and hope there is some speed on.

“We need to hope for a bit of luck that we need to slot in there somewhere.

“Georgina will ride him well and he is a roll forward horse, we will be hoping something pans out for us basically.”

Constant Flight is rated as a $18 chance with bookmakers as of Friday morning for the Cleveland Bay of 2023.