Four more of Racing Queensland’s Battle of the Bush qualifying races were held across country Queensland with races run at Longreach, Mount Isa, Gordonvale and Warwick as the series certainly starts to heat up.
In a barnstorming finish in the Battle Of The Bush Qualifier Open Plate over 1100 metres last Saturday at Longreach, Kakakenny trained by Rodney Little, Ilfracombe came hard down the outside to claim victory over Drinking Cocktails trained by Boy Forster also of Ilfracombe with Tyranny, trained by Todd Austin, Barcaldine, running third.
The win by Kakakenny had to be seen to be believed as 600 metres from home it was three lengths behind the second last horse and some ten lengths off the leader Drinking Cocktails.
Jockey Stanley Watkin waited until the home straight to bring Kakakenny to the outside but it wasn’t until the last 100 metres that the gelding flew home to snatch victory on the line. The winning margin was a close nose by a short half head.
In Mount Isa, it was Galea Warrior trained by Robert Borow who saluted from Damgoodchoice trained by Jay Morris, while Eldrick trained by Darren Burgess was third.
The winning margin was more open with Galea Warrior winning by two lengths from Damgoodchoice and three and a half lengths from Eldrick.
At Gordonvale, Man Around Town trained by Trevor Rowe clinched the lead by half a length to edge out the John Manzelman trained Gingersnap with Tuscan Falls trained by Stephen Massington, three quarters of a length behind.
At Warwick, the winner was the Glenn Richardson trained Klammer, with Starwood trained by John Collins three quarters of the length second, and Canny Excel trained by Laurie Richardson a length and a half third.
These winners join with Emperor Maximillian, Just Call Me Louis and Fab’s Cowboy as the qualifiers to claim their start for the rich final on Tattersall’s Tiara day at Doomben on June 23.
The next leg of the series will be held at Charleville races on May, 19.