Career highlight for young trainer Maria Potiris

By Jordan Gerrans

With one popular series already under her mare’s belt, Innisfail trainer Maria Potiris has set her sights on the Country Cups Challenge later this year with Super Rose.

The four-year-old chestnut was crowned the 2022 champion of the Magic Millions Rob Koch Memorial Far North Queensland Up and Coming Stayers Series at Cairns’ Cannon Park on Tuesday afternoon.

The Up and Coming Stayers Series is an eight-race event that provides horses with lower ratings an opportunity to race over staying trips and look to eventually qualify for North Queensland Cup races later in the year.

Potiris’ stayer did not get the money in the final leg at Cairns on Tuesday after she finished a gallant second to Star Status, but she had accrued enough points across the series to wrap it up.

The owners of the horse that earns the most points in the races receives $4,000 with $2,000 on offer for the trainer and $500 going to the leading hoop, which is courtesy of Cairns Jockey Club.

Potiris has only been training since the 2019-20 season, with the feature series triumph a positive kick-start that should push her career ambitions along.

“It still has not sunk in yet, to be honest,” Maria said.

“We did not even really think about this series with her at all, we only really put her in the last three legs at the end.

“She was getting back in her races and then coming home strong, which gave us the indication that she was looking for longer.

“We threw her in the deep end and it worked.”

Maria is the daughter of long-time Cassowary Coast trainer Stephen Potiris, who had also claimed the Up and Coming Stayers Series in 2016 with stayer Jordan.

Maria was a part-owner in the now-retired gelding.

After a long campaign so far in 2022, former Victorian-based galloper Super Rose is set for a spell in the paddock and will likely resume in the lead-up to the heats for the Country Cups Challenge.

Maria considered heading to the upcoming Cup races across the TAB Northern Queensland Winter Racing Carnival but has put those plans on ice for 12 months.

"I was going to put her in the Cups this year and really throw her in the deep end but after her run on Tuesday, she is ready for a break,” she said.

“She deserves a good spell.

“We will look that way next year.”

It is the second year that the series has been branded the Magic Millions Rob Koch Memorial Far North Queensland Up and Coming Stayers Series.

The late Koch was a respected North Queensland racing ­administrator and horse owner, who passed away in March 2020.

Koch started the series in conjunction with local clubs in 2014 and it has grown in popularity and stature every year.

Koch’s wife Jane was on hand to present Maria and connections their winning prize on Tuesday in FNQ.

Maria claimed the trainers section of the series on 10 points, one clear of fellow Innisfail trainer Krystin Allender, while Super Rose took out the horse division from Love Flies.

Potiris' stable hoop James Baker got the money in the jockey’s section, finishing clear of Pietro Romeo.

Maria, Super Rose and Baker only began to figure on the series leader board nearing the finish, once they decided to step the mare up over a trip.

For a $3,000 purchase, Super Rose has been an excellent addition to the stable, collecting more than $40,000 in stakes and having run in the money on nine occasions from 18 starts.

“She is a good little consistent mare, I am proud of her and what she has been able to do so far,” Maria said.

“She has come a long way but she is still learning.”

Click here to read more about the Magic Millions Rob Koch Memorial Far North Queensland Up and Coming Stayers Series.