RACE COVERAGE : AQUIS PARK 14 MARCH

Gold Coast Turf Club hosts Queensland metropolitan racing at Aquis Park today. 

Follow our race coverage for all the comments from jockeys and trainers, photos and race replays from all nine races on the card. 

Race 1 - 12:33PM MOUNT FRANKLIN Class 4 Plate (RESTRICTED) (1300 METRES)

1^st – Mountbatten – Leanne McCormick – Jimmy Orman

2^nd –Three Stripes – Rob Bowen - Brad Pengelly

3^rd – Strawberry Blonde – Jarrred Wehlow – Corey Bayliss

Trainer – Leanne McCormick

“He’d been running well behind some good horses at long odds in town, he wasn’t far off them and we thought he was a bit of a chance in slightly weaker grade.”

“Jimmy has ridden him the last few times out and done a great job working out all his little kinks and bad habits, very happy to have someone like him on.”

“We spoke before the race and he said he was going to get four or five off the rail, the fence wasn’t the place to be and Jimmy rode him perfectly.”

“That’s just my fifth winner as a trainer and first in the city in a bit lost for words it’s a big milestone.”

Jockey – Jimmy Orman

“The horse had been really game without winning and I urged Leanne to keep pushing for that Saturday win I knew it wasn’t too far away.”

“We got a nice easy time of it out in front and then plan was always to get to the crown of the track off the turn the inside is no good, he deserved to breakthrough.”

Race 2 - 1:08PM SUNSHINE COAST SCORCHERS Colts, Geldings & Entires BENCHMARK 72 Handicap (1200 METRES)

1^st – Motion Granted – Barry Baldwin – Jake Bayliss

2^nd – Fuji Flyer – Gillian Heinrich – Adin Thompson

3^rd – Magic Fox – Kelly Schweida – Jimmy Orman

Trainer – Barry Baldwin

“His form on soft tracks has been pretty consistent, he hasn’t done much on heavy but the jockeys are telling me the tracks improving all the time, so I’m not surprised with the run.”

“He just needed to get back in his right grade and find a winnable race which he did today.”

“I was a little disappointed with The Candy Man’s trial, I’ve asked to doctor to have a look at him if there are any lingering injuries from last preparation.”

Jockey – Jake Bayliss

“When you draw a nice gate you’d be mad not to use it, we saved ground throughout the run and I was still able to get out to the middle of the track when it mattered.”

“I rode this horse a few starts ago and Barry asked me if I thought it should be retired, I told him he still had a bit left and I’m glad I did after today.”

“Step up in trip familiar track, he might have a few more in him.”

Race 4 - 2:18PM CARBINE CLUB GOLD COAST STAKES (1800 METRES)

1^st – Magnufighter – Gary Duncan – Dale Smith

2^nd – Gresham – Chris Waller – Matthew McGillivray

3^rd – Eric The Eel – Stuart Kendrick – Jimmy Orman

Trainer – Gary Duncan

“We’ve just had to be patient with him this prep, he’s looked like he’s been ready to win a coupe of times and not gone on with it but everything was in his favour today.”

“Dale gave him the box seat ride where the others that finished close to him had to come from a long way back.”

“He may have hit the front a bit early and had a think about things, but he knuckled down in the end.”

Jockey – Dale Smith

“I really like this horse, he gives his best every time you go out on him and I feel like I’ve built a good rapport with him over time.”

“Everything panned out great I asked him for an effort at the 300 and he responded immediately, I thought we might be a bit vulnerable late but when he heard then coming he wasn’t going to get beaten.”

Race 5 - 2:57PM AQUIS QTIS JEWEL 2YO (1200 METRES)

1^st – Kisukano – Michael Nolan – Mark Du Plessis

2^nd – Rothfire – Robert Heathcote – Robbie Fradd

3^rd – Boomnova – Chris Munce – Justin Huxtable

Trainer – Michael Nolan

“The talk all week was about Rothfire and I can understand why he’s been fantastic, but it just let us fly under the radar.”

“She was going absolutely super up at home during the week and you never come to these races confident, but she couldn’t have been any better.”

“I’ve got to give so much credit to Mark Du Plessis, I thought we’d run second in this race but he always insisted that she had it in her to win it and when she got into her work at the two hundred I knew she was home.”

“It means a lot to me to win it for the Reeves family who bred and own the horse along with a bunch of my school mates, just such a good feeling.”

“We’ve been saying we were going to tip her out about her last three starts, but we’ll definitely give her a break now and come back looking for some Black Type form.”

Jockey – Mark Du Plessis

“I made it my business to make Rothfire work early and when a coupe of others posted him wide it certainly helped.”

“We had a lovely drop on him and even though all his victories have been dominant I’ve never doubted this filly, once she settles down and goes through her gears there was no stopping her.”

Race 6 - 3:37PM CANADIAN CLUB & DRY OPEN Handicap (900 METRES)

1^st – Usmanov – Toby & Trent Edmonds – Baylee Nothdurft

2^nd – Boom Chicka Boom – Les Kelly – Michael Cahill

3^rd – Removal – John Smerdon – Sean Cormack

Trainer – Trent Edmonds

“He was lugging a bit on the corner his legs were almost moving too fast he was flying.”

“I thought the race was in our keeping when we landed outside Boom Chicka Boom travelled brilliantly and we knew he’d be strong to the line at his home track.”

“He’s had a lot of promise this horse and we’ve had to iron out his issues, this is a great reward for his owners and lets hope he can go on with it in the winter.”

Jockey – Baylee Nothdurft

“I was really pleased when we landed outside the leader I thought we’d be one or two pairs further back, that was a big confidence boost.”

“I knew he had a short sharp sprint so I just tried to hold him back as long as possible and let him go, he was really strong through the line and looks a progressive type going forward.”

Race 7 - 4:17PM TAB QTIS JEWEL 3YO (1200 METRES)

1^st – The Odyssey – Kelly Schweida – Steph Thornton

2^nd – Stampe – Chris Munce – Sean Cormack

3^rd – Oh Five Glory – Peter & Will Hulbert – Taylor Marshall

Trainer – Kelly Schweida

“We were a little bit concerned that the horse drawn inside us might have wanted to keep us one off, but he pinged the lids and was two lengths in front once they all settled.”

“Steph was confident all week, she thought she could lead skip away and win and that’s just what happened.”

“He looked like he travelled beautifully and when he gave that little kick at the top of the straight it was going to take a hell of a run to gun us down.”

“It’s been a very good race day for us winning the two-year-old last year and the three-year-old this year, it’s beyond expectations.”

“We’ll give him a break now and bring him back for some Black Type in the Winter anywhere from 1000-1200 metres.”

Jockey – Steph Thornton

“I just love riding this horse that’s the third time I’ve been on him and we haven’t lost yet, huge thanks to Kelly and his staff for giving me the opportunity.”

“He’s just so easy to ride, takes luck out of the equation at the start and is so clean winded.”

“His one little oddity is that he likes to drift off the track which was no problem on this track today we got to the crown first.”

Race 8 - 5:00PM TAB GOLDMARKET (1300 METRES)

1^st – Snitch – Tony Gollan – Baylee Nothdurft

2^nd – Grey Missile – Toby & Trent Edmonds – Robbie Fradd

3^rd – In His Stride – Rex Lipp – Larry Cassidy

Owner – Tony Khoury

“I didn’t think he’d got there on the line, I thought it was a huge run for second.”

“When the photo came up I just about jumped the rail, to win in town at Eagle Farm last time out was a thrill but to win a GoldMarket with this horse is unbelievable.”

“The money was on I love to have a bet; I think there might be a few slings handed out tonight starting with Baylee lifting him on the line.”

Jockey – Baylee Nothdurft

“Really happy to win this race for Tony (Gollan) I know he’s had success here before and I’d put in a few ordinary rides on some of his today, so I owed him one.”

“He’s a confidence horse this guy it was a big class jump from his last win, but he came here today with some real momentum.”

Race 9 - 5:35PM COCA-COLA Class 6 Plate (1400 METRES)

1^st – Peppi La Few – Toby & Trent Edmonds – Brad Stewart

2^nd – Tokoriki Lad – Tony Gollan – Matthew McGillivray

3^rd – Lose The Snip – Joanne Hardy – John Grisedale

Trainer – Toby Edmonds

“We decided to not worry about the wide barrier and push on to lead in the same fashion Brad did on him last start at Eagle Farm.”

“We were in that awkward position three wide again but he took the initiative and got him to the front and between the 800-400 pinched a really cheap sectional.”

“We may have stumbled upon a new racing pattern for this horse that’s two from two when leading hopefully he can go on to better things.”

Jockey – Brad Stewart

“When he finds the front he just jogs, it suits him down to the ground.”

“We stacked them up the same way we did at Eagle Farm and never at one stage was a worried about having a kick to the line he’s on top of his game.”