Gold result for North Queensland owners

By Jordan Gerrans

Townsville’s Shelly Lynham has been in the ownership group of country Cup victories in Victoria as well as going close to snaring the Magic Millions Classic not long ago.

But, she says she has never had a day in her decades in horse racing like she did on Saturday afternoon at Cluden Park.

Lynham races her gallopers alongside her husband Graham and their latest turf star is Gold Classic, who they share in ownership with long-time FNQ racing administrator Don Scheffler.

Gold Classic produced a grinding performance on Saturday to land the annual feature Pallarenda Stakes, which is the first two-year-old event of the new season in North Queensland.

And, unlike the Lynhams' other big victories in ownership, they were on course to enjoy the spoils and celebrations.

“That tops the cake, it was right up there with one of the best thrills we have had,” Shelly Lynham said.

“It makes a difference that we were there and able to see it.

“We have not been there to soak it all up when they were down in Victoria.”

Prepared by Cairns’ Scott Cooper out of Cannon Park, Gold Classic found the rail and led in the early exchanges of the 1000 metre dash for the babies. 

After they turned for home, the FNQ filly appeared to be being worn down by challengers Tarong and Satisfied Mugs.

The emerging chestnut had other ideas and showed a fighting determination to the line to hand Cooper the biggest victory at Cluden Park in his time training.

“I thought she was gone,” an honest Lynham said.

“At the 150 metre mark from home, I thought he had got her. She is a lovely girl.”

The Cooper stable have battled through a lean spell over the last few years and the Cairns-based horseman is hopeful he can springboard into more juvenile racing on the back of Gold Classic’s triumph.

He believes the daughter of Dracarys – who was a $22,000 purchase - will get out to 1400 metres eventually.

“She will be suited for a little bit further later on,” Cooper said.

“She is a decent size horse.”

The Lynhams have been involved in a handful of top gallopers over the years.

They part-owned High Church who won the Listed Warrnambool Cup in 2017 as well as finishing in the money of a couple of other black-type events.

They also were in the connections of the Stuart Kendrick-prepared Fullazaboot who finished second in the Magic Millions Classic the following year to Sunlight.

Goldie Girl – who raced locally in North Queensland – was another galloper the Lynhams had high hopes for but her racing career was cut short in late 2018.

The Lynhams are real estate agents in Townsville and have been involved in racing for decades in the area, dating back to when harness racing was still being run in the northern city.

The team behind Gold Classic were optimistic she would be competitive before Saturday’s $35,000 contest after she was a stylish trial winner earlier in the month.

“We knew she would run well,” Shelly Lynham said.

“When you see a lot of the Dracarys race, they need to be in front, they appear to be a good front-running horse.

“When she hit the front, I knew she was in for a good show.

“The question was if the fitness was going to be there after the long trip from Cairns.

“But, from all reports she pulled up well after the race.”

Gold Classic’s next assignment could be the two-year-old race on Townsville Amateur Cup day in the middle of November.

The Lynham and Scheffler combination are relatively new owners to the Cooper stable.

Cooper took on Courting Sara – who the Lynhams own – after a handful of other trainers had a go with her.

Courting Sara has won a couple of times and been placed on three other occasions over the last year which led the ownership team to send Gold Classic to Cooper’s yard.

“She pulled like a train and never settled at Townsville but Scott has put a fair bit of time into her and she is ok now and works well,” Shelly Lynham said of Courting Sara.

“She loves the Cairns track.

“We like the fact that Scott does all his own shoeing, he rides his own trackwork and his horses are really well looked after – which is important to me.

“Scott is a lovely guy and is very approachable.”