Classic filly a coup for FNQ trainer

By Jordan Gerrans

It has been a quieter last few seasons for Scott Cooper but the Cairns conditioner is optimistic a new focus on preparing juveniles will return his barn to past glories.

The FNQ trainer looks to have unearthed a smart baby ahead of the two-year-old season commencing in North Queensland this Saturday with the annual Pallarenda Stakes at Townsville.

Cooper’s Gold Classic was a strong trial winner at her only public appearance so far, scoring by almost three lengths at Atherton earlier this month.

She heads to the $35,000 Pallarenda Stakes Two-Years-Old Maiden Plate over 1000 metres and will commence from the four alley.

“Going to Atherton with a horse that never has raced before, it is a difficult track Atherton at the best of times,” Cooper said.

“Horses are inclined to get lost there and that was actually the first time she had galloped on grass because our grass track at Cairns has been closed for the last few weeks.

“So, I am hoping she can improve on that trial run.”

While Cooper – who is a former jockey – has dabbled in juveniles earlier in his training career, he has more so concentrated on tried horses, where he has found regular success over the last decade.  

After posting 16 victories in the 2022-23 campaign, Cooper has only prepared six winners since.

A shift into two-year-old racing more often may be the key.

As well as Gold Classic, Cooper has the unraced Gem Of Scots in his team as well as a yet-to-be-named youngster.

“I have some other owners that are into two-year-olds, who are targeting the QTIS money,” Cooper said.

“If you can get a forward enough and mature two-year-old, then you are a good chance of winning two-year-old races, which is what I believe, anyway.

“It is something different that I am trying now, I have three two-year-olds in the stable now.”

He also has a trio of three-year-olds who are lightly-raced that should filter through to the races in the coming months.

Gem Of Scots is closely related to Rex Lipp’s former boom juvenile Gem Of Scotland who won four straight races to kick-off her career back in 2019.

Like Gold Classic, Cooper is hopeful Gem Of Scots can make her presence felt, as well.

Gold Classic was a $20,000 investment at the March sales by co-owners Don Scheffler – a long-time FNQ racing administrator - and Shelly Lynham.

“She has impressed me in the couple of gallops that she has had here on the sand track at Cairns,” Cooper said of the young filly.

“She is a decent size horse.

“She will be suited for a little bit further later on but at this stage she skips along quite impressively over the 1000 metres anyway.”

Lynham also has Courting Sara in Cooper’s stable while Scheffler is a relatively new owner in his barn after previously racing gallopers with several other NQ trainers.

The Pallarenda Stakes is an annual feature on the NQ racing calendar as the kick-off point of the two-year-old racing season.

“I think she will handle the trip away, she is fairly sensible,” Cooper said of Gold Classic’s upcoming trip to Townsville from Cairns.

“There were a couple in the Townsville trial that seemed to go alright.

“There are a few in this race that have not had public trials so there is a little bit of that unknown there.

“It is probably one of those races you could run 10 times and have 10 different winners.”

Courting Sara and Cooper will head to Innisfail Turf Club on Friday and start in the Benchmark 55 Handicap over 900 metres with Masayuki Abe doing the steering.