Pam O'Neill honoured with feature race

The Pam O'Neill will be run over 1350m at Doomben as a Set Weights and Penalties race for fillies and mares on May 16. In 2018, a one-off race honouring O'Neill was staged as part of the Summer Carnival before high-level discussions were staged to secure a more permanent fixture on the racing calendar.

Having campaigned for more than a decade for the right to ride alongside her male counterparts, O'Neill was finally granted a licence in 1979 at the age of 34 - riding a treble on debut at the Gold Coast despite failing to receive an allowance - as she became Australia's first female jockey. During a stellar riding career, O'Neill piloted upwards of 400 winners including a month-long stint in Japan in 1980 which landed her three winners.

"After many decades, it is gratifying to see my hard work to provide opportunities for women - not just as jockeys but within the racing industry more broadly - recognised in this manner. It is a true honour and a privilege to have a race named after me," O'Neill said.

Racing Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell said the decision to introduce The Pam O'Neill as part of a new-look TAB Queensland Racing Carnival was befitting of her role as a pioneer in the Sunshine State.

"Pam O'Neill's contribution to the Australian racing landscape is far-reaching and transformational. She championed the rights for female jockeys, tearing down one of the final bastions of change, and showed the racing industry that equality wasn't just aspirational but essential. In the ensuing decades, she has continued to serve as a sounding board and mentor for hundreds of jockeys - male and female - and she thoroughly deserves this honour," he said.

Brisbane's recently retired Lord Mayor, Graham Quirk, who now serves as the Thoroughbred director on the Racing Queensland Board, was a strong advocate of O'Neill's during his time in office. Having bestowed the Lord Mayor's Australia Day Sports Award on O'Neill before his retirement last year, Mr Quirk said history would judge her as someone who was more than just a trailblazer.

"It was her refusal not to take no for an answer and perseverance that would have seen most of us simply pack our bags and go home that gives her such a special place in racing folklore. When we look at country racing today - noting in many instances where race meetings simply would not proceed without the participation of female jockeys - we can trace today's viability of country racing back to Pam's tenacity. Her no-nonsense, tell-it-as-it-is style makes her opinion valued and this race named in her honour is a befitting recognition for someone who opened the door for opportunity," he said.

Inducted as a member of the Racing Queensland Hall of Fame in 2010, O'Neill continues to serve the industry as a director of the Australian Jockeys' Association and secretary of the Queensland Jockeys' Association.

THE Australian breeding industry will support those affected by bushfires with vendors at this week's Magic Millions sale donating $500 for every horse sold.

With more than 800 horses catalogued in the Book 1 sale, it's hoped the initiative can raise more than $300,000. The announcement follows pledges of $50,000 by each of Magic Millions, its key sponsor The Star Gold Coast and Magic Millions' 2020 Ambassadors to the bushfire relief.

Thoroughbred Breeders Australia chief executive Tom Reilly said the money would be deducted from the sale price and donated to charities that support the victims of the fires. "A lot of vendors were talking about what we could do to help those who need it the most and there was overwhelming support when this idea was discussed," he said.

TBA president Basil Nolan said: "I think this is a great effort as many vendors have had a very tough time in recent years with drought and many have been dealing with fires themselves. The industry is a real community and everybody I've spoken with wanted to do something. You cannot look at what's going on and not be affected by it," he said.

In addition, Sun Stud has announced that throughout January it will donate $1000 for every winner by a Sun Bloodstock owned horse, plus $200 for every winner sired by a stallion on the Sun Stud roster, to the bushfire relief.

THE TAB Doomben 10,000 is poised to become Queensland's newest million-dollar black-type race after receiving a $200,000 stakes increase.

As Queensland's highest rated race - currently adjudged number 26 in the world by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities - the Doomben 10,000 joins the TAB Stradbroke Handicap ($1.5 million), EVA Air Q22 ($1.5 million), BRC JJ Atkins ($1 million) and the BRC Sires' Produce Stakes ($1 million) as million-dollar features to be run throughout winter.

With an honour roll boasting legends such as Bernborough and Manikato, other notable winners include Chief De Beers, Falvelon, Bel Esprit, Takeover Target and Apache Cat.

More recently, however, the Doomben 10,000 has served as the perfect preparation for Redzel's back-to-back wins in The Everest, with the Peter Snowden-trained gelding conquering Randwick following his Queensland campaigns.

"As Queensland's highest rated race, the Doomben 10,000 truly deserves a $1 million prize purse. Having elevated the JJ Atkins and the BRC Sires' Produce Stakes as part of our Future Champions Series - along with the recent announcement of the $1.5 million EVA Air Q22 to be run on Stradbroke Day - it was only fitting we do likewise for one of the nation's most coveted sprints. Over the years, some of the nation's - and the world's - best sprinters have claimed the Doomben 10,000 and it remains the perfect launching pad for those targeting the spring features," Racing Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell said.

BRC chairman Neville Bell thanked Racing Queensland for the initiative. "Reaching the $1 million milestone for the Doomben 10,000 is great recognition for a race that has established itself as one of the nation's highest-rated races. The 2020 Brisbane Racing Carnival will now feature five $1 million races, elevating the carnival to the level that matches its reputation as the nursery for Australia's champion racehorses. Racing Queensland should be commended for their foresight and the prize money injection which makes for an exciting carnival in 2020," he said.

A MAN To Match stormed home to win the inaugural The Wave (1800m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday, sweeping a big bonus and booking a place in the field for a million dollar feature for the $10 million Gold Coast Magic Millions Raceday this Saturday, January 11.

Owners Graham and Linda Huddy, Peachester Lodge, were overjoyed when their talented 4YO gelding trained by Tony Gollan scooped the first placed cheque of $145,000 and also a $200,000 bonus from Magic Millions for being an eligible MM Race Series nominated runner. The son of High Chaparral also scored a ballot free exemption for the $1 million Magic Millions Trophy (2400m) with the thrilling victory.

Bought for $300,000 at the 2017 Gold Coast Yearling Sale from Baramul Stud, Widden Valley, NSW, A Man To Match has now earned more than $560,000. There's plenty of stamina in the pedigree as his dam Pregrada (More Than Ready) won up to 2000m while her half-brother Zagreb won three Listed races and was placed in both the Group 1 South Australin Derby and Group 1 Australian. Further back, their dam Dansino (Danehill) was a Listed winner and half-sister to Group 1 Australasian Oaks winner Leica Smile.

Formerly based at Mt Isa, the Huddys first achieved national prominence when bought a first crop son of High Chaparral at the 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling sale. A $15,000 purchase, Shoot Out retired with earnings of more $3.2 million while his five Group 1 wins included the AJC Derby and Randwick Guineas.

The Huddys have also enjoyed recent success with their home-bred High Chaparral 6YO gelding Silvera who has earned almost $465,000. A winner of eight races, Silvera triumphed last July when he won the Rockhampton Cup and the Listed Tattersall's Mile at Eagle Farm in succession.

QUEENSLAND-bred colt Wisdom Of Water will be out to emulate his former stablemate Houtzen when he backs up in Saturday's $2 million The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) after an impressive win in the $125,000 Aquis Gold Nugget (1100m) held last Saturday.

A $70,000 buy for connections by Blandford Bloodstock from the Eureka Stud draft last year, Wisdom Of Water is prepared at the Gold Coast by the powerful father-son training partnership of Toby and Trent Edmonds.

Houtzen won the 2YO Classic a week after booking her place in the field with a win at the same course in her final lead-up run. It's a double that's been completed in four of the last five years - Le Chef, Sunlight and Exhilarates are the others.

Wisdom Of Water became the first winner for first-crop sire Headwater - a Group 2 Silver Slipper winning son of champion racehorse and sire Exceed And Excel - while his dam Regal Tier by Royal Academy (USA) is one of nine winners including dual Listed winner Tierqualo produced from the winning Tierce mare Tiercette.