KNOCK, KNOCK WHO’S THERE?
EVERYONE loves a battler in sport and life, and while it is difficult to class Peter Moody as a battler it is fair to say that despite his heady success with Black Caviar he has never lost his bush roots and knock about larrikin status. Never has that been more evident than when Robert Craddock broke the news of his latest escapade, and it had nothing to do with Cobalt, the VRC integrity unit or Black Caviar.
Raheen Stud principal Basil Nolan another knock about bloke woke to find a rather large package on his front lawn last Friday. The Nolans live in close proximity to the Cunningham Highway and Basil was more than a little reluctant to investigate too closely – not knowing what or who he may uncover. Imagine his surprise to find the package was none other than Peter Moody wrapped in swag.
Don’t know any other current or former leading Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane trainer who would pack up their Ute drive from Victoria to Warwick and camp on a mate’s front lawn.
It says much about Moody. You obviously can take the man out of the bush but never the bush out of the boy.
It is reported that Moody headed to Toowoomba for the Weetwood on Saturday, but after meeting up with a few old mates did not catch a glimpse of the two main races nor did he see Basil Nolan’s promising three-year-old Too Good To Refuse greet the judge in the fifth event.
Where and what Moody has planned for his next career move seems to be something he is undecided upon, however, he is a man that will be welcomed back to the racing fold with open arms should he choose that path at the end of his suspension. Racing needs characters like Moody for the stories surrounding them are woven into the folklore and mystic of a game that is a great leveller.
– Casey
GOOD SUPPORT AT ALLMAN PARK
The five-event Warwick RSL Memorial Race day last Saturday at Allman Park was well supported by patrons, owners and trainers despite clashing with the big Weetwood meeting in Toowoomba.
The meeting opened with the running of the Warwick RSL Memorial Club 800m Maiden. The race drew a field of 12 runners. In a close finish, the Kellie Monckton- trained Graff Pink proved too strong for Leading Story and favourite Shez Our Destiny. It was only the three-year-old filly’s sixth start.
The Toowoomba-trained galloper She’s a Kicker took out the second race one of the feature events on the card, the Mick Rawlins Memorial Class B 1200m. Rawlins was a third generation trainer and many of the Maryvale trainer’s family and friends were at the track on Saturday when the inaugural trophy was presented to connections.
With a 2.5kg claim for apprentice Adam Spinks, She’s a Kicker defeated Deputy Peck and Famous Grouse. The favourite Hashtag Yolo finished in fourth place.
Another big field lined up for the third event another Maiden over the 1350m journey. Starting at the good odds of $11, Rough Kiss saluted for trainer Quinton Kearney and connections.
The four-year-old gelding had not started since January, but trialled on his home track late in March and was well ridden by Vishan Venkaya
Toowoomba galloper-trained Inka Dinka Doo saluted in the fourth event defeating another Toowoomba visitor It’s All Irish and the locally trained Ollie Runs Riot.
Punter finished the day on the right note when $2.50 favourite Turbo Teddy saluted in the main event on the program the 1100m Benchmark 65 Long Tan Cup.
Ridden by Les Tilley the handsome five-year-old gelding is trained locally by Steven Thomas. In fact ithe finish was an all-local affair. The Steve Schwencke-trained Can He Rap finished in second place almost two lengths in advance of another Warwick galloper Ruffo trained by Norm Hilton.
The Cup winner was scratched from the Toowoomba Weetwood meeting on Saturday with trainer Steven Thomas electing for a start on his home track.
Connections were presented with the trophy by Warwick RSL Services and Memorial Club committee member Jeff Hannaford and manager Jo Schwencke. Club officials were delighted with the support for the meeting.
BIG ANZAC WEEKEND FOR NRL
Finally, an NRL round that made some sense for tipsters with most teams playing to the form guide. But if you are a Knights supporter, you are possibly still suffering a headache after the Broncos for the second week in succession managed to keep their opponents scoreless. The other big winners of course were the Cowboys. Last season’s grand finalists are certainly setting the pace this season along with the Eels and Broncos.
This week marks the NRL Anzac celebrations with three games to be played on Monday and no game on Thursday night.
The Broncos host the Bunnies in Friday night football at Suncorp. There is no way to guild the lily, the Bunnies were awful last weekend against the Cowboys and things do not get any easier for them here. Coach Maguire will be expecting more commitment from his senior players in this game, and the Broncos will be wary of the wounded Bunnies outfit.
Alex Glenn is an uncertain starter for the Broncos. Greg Inglis remains under what seems to be a permanent injury cloud which may have a lot to do with the Bunnies current form. He suffered a concussion against the Cowboys, but has been named to play at Suncorp. The Broncos start short priced favourites, but the Bunnies should be better than last week. Go the Broncos.
Saturday the Dogs return to ANZ with their tails between their legs after going down to the Warriors in Wellington.
This week they take on the vastly improved Titan’s side. They suffered possibly a shock loss to the Dragons last week but have lost no admirers. The Dogs, however, should prove too strong here.
The Raiders and Tigers go head to head in the nation’s capital. Clay Priest has been named to make his debut for the Raiders who will be without Blake Austen.
The Tigers are searching for a win following a run of outs and their narrow golden point loss to Melbourne. In a tough game for tipsters, I am leaning towards the Tigers.
In the game of the round, the all-conquering Eels take on the Cowboys in Townsville. This is a real test for both sides. The Cowboys only defeat this season came at the hands of the Eels in round two. I believe the Cowboys have improved since then, and after announcing another unchanged side I believe they will start favourites and will notch another home town win here in what will be a great game.
Only one game on Sunday with the Sharks and Panthers going head to head at Shark Park. The Sharks are sitting at the top end of the ladder this season and although the Panthers are playing well, I think the home-side will have too much bite here. Sharks for me.
Big day of football on Anzac Day with the Knights and Eagles playing in Newcastle; the traditional Dragons Roosters Anzac Day clash at Allianz and the Storm and Warriors to do battle at AAMI Park.
The Eagles should win in Newcastle and while the Dragons cracked their duck last week, I haven’t seen enough to think they can beat the Roosters here. With both sides out of sorts, this game could go either way. Melbourne Storm scraped their way to a win last week and are not travelling as well as in past seasons, however the Warriors are too unpredictable for me. Despite coming off a win against the Dogs in Round 7, I can’t see them as winners here.
WIN FOR DICK
SPORTERS regular Dick Hilton finally hit the jackpot last Sunday taking home the winner’s prize. Ian Anderson finished runner-up and also picked up the pin shot on the third and also the Pro Pin. The run downs went to Norm Steele and Jim Mitchell while Paul Byrnes had the Mark Lynam and Ray Thorn did not go home empty handed either, they both left with a meat tray.
Tee off this Sunday is at the usual time of 8am to 8.30am, however there will be no Sporters on Sunday 1 May as this is the annual Central Motors Golf day. I understand that there is already a sheet up in the clubhouse for this popular day on the Stanthorpe golfing calendar.
LONG WEEKEND SHOOT
MEMBERS of the Inglewood Sporting Shooters are preparing for a busy weekend over the Anzac Day long weekend. The club will be hosting a long weekend competition which will include SSAA Military Pistol Match; NRA Pistol Action Match and Three Positional Rifle.
The results will be tallied as one event will not be finalised until Monday. Shooters have the option of two rounds – Saturday and Sunday or either Saturday or Sunday. The event commences at 10am on Saturday and the entry fee is $25.
On 10 April, the club held a Rimfire competition. A new name emerged the winner, Michael Didsman outscored Ray and Stephanie Dudgeon. The junior event was won by Will Dudgeon – almost making a Dudgeon white wash. In addition to the competition shoot, a demonstration day was held at the Wild West Saloon which proved popular.
Last Sunday Ray Dudgeon managed to go one better in the Muzzle Loading competition, coming away with a win. Filling the minor placings were Graham (Scruffy) Morgan and Michael Dudgeon.
In the Action Pistol event, Iain Bowen defeated Peter Jones and Jeffrey Graves. Tom Donald was successful in the 25m Standard Pistol Event, out pointing Jeffrey Graves and Trevor Allen.
Go to the Inglewood Sporting Shooters on their Facebook page for further details of this weekend’s big event or to catch up on their recent activities.
www.facebook.com/pages/Sporting-Shooters-Association-of-Australia-Inglewood-Branch-Inc/253643571426626
WINNING ROUND FOR CHAPMAN
RICKY Chapman had a good day out on Saturday, outscoring a good field in the stableford event. Chapman returned a score of 46 points for the round. He was out in 22 and back home in 24 – his overall score gave him a clear seven points win over nearest rivals.
Four players returned 39 points, but it was Greg Yap that was the last man standing to take the runner-up prize.
Margie Locke continued her good form, wining the ladies event with 37 points. Racheal Hendry took second place after a countback saw Neta Thouard settling for a ball in the run down.
Sponsor for the day was Michael Lane who also provided a great array of trophies.
Len Leigh picked up the pin shot for the men at 3/12 and Geoff Hinze, visiting from Warwick GC, held the pin at 17.
There were no takers for the ladies pin at 3/12, although I understand there were a few of the men who attempted to claim it.
Linda Kelly had best approach for the ladies at 17. Pro-pins went to Dylan Barraclough at 1/10, Grant Draheim at 5/14 and Grant Howard at 9/18.
The run down went to 37 points and better for the men and 33 and better for the ladies.
After a mix-up with the pin markers last Saturday, a suggestion has been made to colour code the markers. Blue for men and pink for ladies.
Players who have difficulty with this arrangement should consult with ex-medico and club member, Greg, who would be able to explain the difference and which colour would apply to them. Hopefully, this will end any confusion for future events.
There are two important dates on the calendar for local golfers. At the end of the month, two days of golf, a 4BBB sponsored by Jeff and Biz Ihle will be followed by the annual Central Motors Three Ball Ambrose is on the programme.
Both days are certain to attract big fields and plenty of visitors. Club players should ensure they get their names on the time sheet as soon as possible.
This Saturday is single stableford sponsored by Darryl Boekholt. Tee off from 11.30am and the time sheet is on the board.
COME ‘n’ TRY SUCCESS
ORGANISERS of last weekend’s Come ‘n’ try days at the Stanthorpe Croquet courts were pleased with the outcome of the two days.
Several potential new players took the opportunity to ‘have a go.” The club offers new players the opportunity to play four “free” days before joining to get a real feel for the game and for anyone who did not make it to the open days last weekend now would be an ideal time to try any of the mallet sports as there will be plenty of other players just learning the ropes as well.
In the Sunday group last week, all the newcomers succeeded in scoring hoops which gave them plenty of encouragement and we are sure to see their names in the winners’ results in the future.
If you would like to know more about the various forms of the game, golf croquet is played on Wednesday and currently commences at 8.30am. Gateball is played on Friday with a 9am starting time.
TURNBRIDGE RETURNS IN WINNING FORM
JENNY Tunbridge and Val Richardson teamed to score a 23-13 win over Andrea Denkewitz in doubles. Tunbridge was playing her first game in some time, but her form showed no signs of time away from the game. In the singles game, despite having a break of three, Carol Verwey was defeated 26-16 by opponent Grace Howard.
Effey Russell and Pat Schnoor teamed up to play Margaret Dickenson and Heather Widderick in the other game of doubles. The game eventually went the way of Russell and Schnoor 26-16. Pat Schnoor had a break of four and three breaks of three. Effey Russell also played very well and had two breaks of two. Margaret Dickenson also played very well she scored a hoop from halfway and had two breaks of two.
Snake charmer
WE reported last week that prominent golfer Tom Page has earned a new title “Snake Charmer.” A little investigation revealed that in a recent mid-week round of golf, Page had to answer the call of nature and headed for the toilet complex on the back of the course.
It was a quick trip when he discovered he was not alone – seems he was sharing the amenities with a very large brown snake which was curled up in a corner obviously enjoying the warmth of the bricks. Asleep or awake Page was not sticking around for a formal introduction and reckons he has never hit the ball as far as when he returned to the game. When news of the discovery of the serpent spread, fellow golfers investigated only to find that you should never poke a sleeping snake – seems they take poorly to being disturbed. Estimated to be over a metre and a half long, the snake and his buddy Page remain a talking point at the club – not sure if there are many queuing to use the said amenities since. Page is one who will be giving them a wide berth for a while.
TRIPLES IN GOLF CROQUET
PLAYER numbers were ideal for Triples games at golf croquet and Val Fancourt Teresa Pyne and Bill Golding defeated Elaine Brown Di Wren and Shirley Page 13-8 in the first game. All players were in good form, however it was Val Fancourt who top scored with five hoops.
The second game was also played first to 13. With a slight change in the teams, it was Dianne Wren, Elaine Brown and Teresa Brown defeating their opponents 13-11 in a tight game. In this game, Dianne Wren was in good touch. In an impressive performance she scored eight of her team’s hoops.
COWBOYS SUCCESS IN LOCAL DERBY
THE local Derby between Wattles and Cowboys is always a keenly contested round of the TRL and on Sunday the Cowboys took the honours with an impressive 50-28 win.
The first half was a tight tussle with both teams trading tries before a Wattles mistake saw the Cowboys score under the posts from a scrum. The conversion gave the home side an 18-16 half time lead and set the stage for a nail-biting second half.
However, when Wattles lost a player to the sin bin in the second half, the Cowboys took full advantage and ran in three tries in quick succession. Wattles were unable to recover as the Cowboys galloped away to a strong win.
The A Grade win capped off a great day for Cowboys supporters after the Under18 side and Reserve Grade sides both notched up wins.
The Reserve Grade side posted an impressive 48-8 win. There were plenty of points scored in the Under18s game with Warwick running out 32-12 winners.
The three wins put the Cowboys in a strong position in the TRL club competition.
This weekend Wattles host Pittsworth while the Cowboys play Highfields
WINS FOR TIGERS AND RAMS AND TIGERETTES
In Tenterfield, the Tigers proved too strong for the visiting Roosters in their round two clash last Saturday. In a tough game, the Tigers outplayed the Roosters to post a 50 -28 win after leading 22-10 at the halftime break. Tigers coach Chris Bathersby said after the game that halfback Jarrod McIntosh was undoubtedly the Man of the Match crossing for four tries for the Tigers. Second Rower Murray Johnson also had a strong game in attack and defence. Others that caught the eye were Ben Hickey and Jake Kelly. Centre Mark McGrady also got among the tries scoring a double.
The Roosters were missing some key players due to work commitments. There were no major injuries to come out of the game.
The Tigers play the combined Stanthorpe Texas side at the Reg Saunders Oval Texas in a rare Friday night clash this week. The game gets underway at 8.30pm.
The Wallangarra Rams posted one of their biggest wins last Saturday when they defeated Killarney 50-16 in their round two BRL clash.
Faron Anderson was a standout for the Rams crossing for four tries. Team mates Charles Duroux and James Springborg also played well for the home team.
The Rams have a bye this weekend while Killarney travel to Inglewood.
The Tigerettes continued on their winning way last weekend with another impressive win. After some shuffling of the League tag schedule due to the cancellation of the game between Pittsworth and Stanthorpe/Texas ladies, the undefeated Tenterfield girls played the combined Gremlinettes / Foxy Terriers side.
Once again the girls showed their class and superiority in the competition, scoring 34 unanswered points in what was a one-sided affair. While the Tigerettes are undoubtedly the competition benchmark, the Stanthorpe/Texas side are sure to improve with more matches under their belt.
