Bush bonus on the line for Pat Webster

By Jordan Gerrans

The hunt for the “Border Cup Triple Crown Bonus” is on in 2023.

Spread across the Eastern Downs and Downs racing associations, the Goondiwindi, St George and Talwood clubs last year struck an agreement to offer a “Border Cup Triple Crown Bonus” for their feature race meetings.

The $10,000 bonus was not awarded in 2022 but this year, favourite son of the area Pat Webster is in the running to take home the extra cash on offer.

Webster and Palate grabbed the first leg of the series  - Goondiwindi’s Boggabilla Cup on Saturday – and he confirmed on Monday morning he would aim the mare at the trifecta of Cups in the coming weeks.

It was a red-letter day for the Webster barn on Saturday, preparing five winners across three different tracks: Goondiwindi, Eagle Farm and Inverell, which is south of the border.

The popular horseman relocated from St George into Toowoomba last year with an aim of racing his team more often on the provincial and city circuits.

But, his roots are still in the bush and his gallopers are still regulars on the non-TAB and country circuit, as well. 

Bay mare Palate has only been with Webster since the start of this year but Saturday’s triumph was her third in six attempts.

She will now be aimed at the St George Cup on the last Saturday of this month.

“She is owned in St George so she will definitely go to St George for the Cup,” Webster said.

“She will have to be a chance in that race now. I thought it was the best win since we have had her because she got attacked up front and a few went around her.

“And, she is generally not a horse that shows a lot of fight when she is attacked but on this occasion she sat second and finished off the race really nicely.”

Young apprentice Tamara Noble was in the saddle of Palate on Saturday, which was the fourth victory of her emerging tenure as a rider. 

When the “Border Cup Triple Crown Bonus” was introduced last year, local club officials from the three towns recalled a similar bonus being offered many decades ago – which went off at one stage – and they thought the extra $10,000 on offer to connections of stayers would lift the level of gallopers travelling to their meetings.

If a stayer can win the Cup in all three towns across July and August, their team will walk away with a $10,000 bonus, on top of their prize money already claimed in the races.

Webster and the Wippell family that own the mare now get their chance to win the bonus for the first time since it's been reinstated.

The St George Cup is a race Webster has had great success in over the years, winning it on four occasions.

The St George and Talwood Cups are both worth $15,000 this year. 

As well as the non-TAB spoils on Saturday, the stable also grabbed city riches with Rejoiced claiming a No Metro Wins race at Eagle Farm in stylish fashion.

The Redoute's Choice gelding had put the writing on the wall over his last three starts and Les Tilley – who completed his apprenticeship under the guidance of Webster – did the steering over 1400 metres.

“We will look for another race in two or three weeks with him, fingers crossed he seems to have pulled up well,” Webster said of Rejoiced.

“There could be another race for him on the same day as the St George Cup actually.”

Ian and Dell Price - along with their son Ivan and his wife Helen - purchased the Bahram training and spelling centre in February of last year and the Webster family took over managing the property not long after on the outskirts of Toowoomba.

It has been a positive move for Webster, putting the finishing touches on his best season as a trainer over the last decade or so. 

He has 36 winners to his name with the campaign soon coming to an end.

That betters his previous top since 2012, which was 22 victories in the 2015-16 term.

There are numerous trainers who utilise the Bahram training and spelling centre with Darren Bell recently relocating there.

Bell previously trained in the Sunshine State before in more recent years working for other stables in Victoria.

“It is really good for the centre to have someone like him, he is back now working a few horses,” Webster said of Bell.

“There has been a number of winners trained out of the centre in recent weeks, which is great. There is plenty of horse numbers out there, it is going really good.”