Classic time to shine for Age Of Aquarius

By Jordan Gerrans

After a luckless, but promising, South East Queensland campaign, Pallarenda Stakes champion Age Of Aquarius returns to Cluden Park this Saturday with an aim of bookending the season with another juvenile feature.

The half-brother to Queensland Derby place getter Felix The Scat will be out for his own feature race glory when he starts in the time-honoured QTIS 2YO Classic.

The event is the richest juvenile race in the region.

The Tasha Chambers-prepared youngster was an impressive debut winner in the first Townsville two-year-old feature of the season when claiming the boys’ division of the Pallarenda Stakes in late October.

The Headwater gelding has been to the races on five occasions since but is yet to add to his victory tally.

He has raced in city company throughout and has been unlucky to not score again, having placed on three occasions.

Age Of Aquarius has finished second at his last two efforts at Doomben and Ipswich.

Reflecting on the gelding’s first season, Chambers is proud she has been able to keep the youngster as calm as she has throughout, which can be a challenge in itself at times.

“He has been an absolute professional for a two-year-old,” Chambers said.

“He has been well-travelled and he has just taken it all in his stride.

“He has shown he can travel, going to the Sunshine Coast, Townsville and Brisbane – he will take it all in his stride as he is calm and easy-going.

“He has improved with every run. I have been very happy with how he has come along.”

The feature QTIS 2YO Classic carries a purse of $100,000 this Saturday and has attracted a strong field of gallopers from across Central and North Queensland.

The 44-year-old Chambers carries a dual-licence as a trainer and jockey.

As she had to tend to her small team of gallopers in Rockhampton, as well as her usual riding commitments, Chambers sent Age Of Aquarius to Brisbane trainers Tony Gollan and Barry Lockwood for his southern runs.

“If we drew a barrier in those couple of races, that could have changed the result as we have been unlucky with barriers,” Chambers said of his recent placings. 

“In saying that, he does not have a great turn of foot.

“As he is a half-brother to Felix The Scat, he is showing as a three-year-old he will get up to a mile.

“We are just trying to get the right distance races for him and next year stepping up in distance he will improve again.

“The 1200 metres may be a little short for him on Saturday but I have freshened him up for it following his trip home from Brisbane.”

Age Of Aquarius is a home-bred galloper that is raced by Central Queensland’s Dianne Cooper.

Cooper has enjoyed success with broodmare Miss Pocket Rocket who has also produced city winner Felix The Scat.

Age Of Aquarius has raced at 1350 metres at his last two starts and will drop back to 1200 metres on Saturday.

Chambers says he is crying out for 1400 metres and beyond.

She will regain the ride on Saturday at Cluden after Jake Bayliss has been the pilot on the last three occasions.

“While it is a little bit short in distance, it is such a good prize money race so we had to have a crack,” she said.

“He just feels like a miler and his breeding suggests he will get further.

“He will just improve as he gets older. It is nice to have a good horse on my hands.”

The Chambers team will also send stable mate Fight In The Dog to Townsville on Saturday.

Fight In The Dog was set to go around at Mackay on Thursday but has been scratched and will now head to the Benchmark 55 Handicap over 1200 metres instead.

Meanwhile, Saturday’s program from Cluden will coincide with a special occasion for the northern club.

The club is celebrating 150 years of existence.

Townsville Turf Club chief executive Wayne Croton is proud to celebrate that their club is one of the oldest in the city. 

“It's one of the first things that actually came about in Townsville, which is the Townsville Turf Club,” Croton said.

“And, to survive this long, it's a testament to the people in the industry. 

“We're expecting around 1,500 people coming out this Saturday. 

“Kids are welcome as well, so you know there's plenty of things for everyone to do.”