12/05/16
Next Saturday is BTC Cup day at Doomben and these days the race is a Group 1 event worth $500,000 in total prizemoney. The race has been afforded Group 1 status since 2006.
The BTC Cup of today has had a plethora of name changes over the years, which is sadly the same scenario that unfolds right across Australia with race names. According to Miller’s Guide, it was the Robin’s Kitchen Cup until 1995 then it became known as the Foster’s Cup until 1998, after which it was the Carlton Cup from 1999 to 2001 inclusive. In 2002 and 2003 it was the Wyndham Estate Cup and so on and so forth. Fair dinkum when one reflects on all those name changes, it’s no wonder we are all half potty. Between many metropolitan racing administrators who have no idea, urgers coming at us from all quarters tipping us into slow racehorses, four horses accepting for Race 1 at Gosford today and officials incredibly allowing that race to proceed, along with an eight week federal election campaign under way – which is surely akin to water torture, or burning witches at the stake in medieval times – it’s no wonder many humanoids on planet Earth are half potty. In fact from what I see, there are a hell of a lot who are well over “half potty” yet they are perceived in the modern-day Australia to be “normal”.
Anyway back to the score at the Test – and the race that has morphed into the BTC Cup which was first run over 1350 metres in 1964, when Rashlore beat Ripa and Cele’s Image in a fast 1.18.2. Todwana won the following year in 1.18.7, then Eye Liner won the fourth running of the race, beating Regal Chance and Lochinvar in 1.19.2, but I have no record of what the track rating was in those particular years.
20 years ago, in 1996, the then Foster’s Cup was won by the “Doomben champion” Chief De Beers. That year the race was a Group 2 event run over 1200 metres on an “overcast” day on a “heavy” track.
On the day, seven races were run on the program – and the only black type race run on the day was the Foster’s Cup. This year BTC Cup day will feature five black type races.
All races on that day in 1996, except the Foster’s Cup, had a minimum weight of 52kgs and all six races apart from the Foster’s Cup had total prizemoney of $14,000 per race. In 2016 the minimum weight in any of the eight races (one more than the seven races in 1996) that will be run on the day is 52.5kgs (just half a kilo more than 1996 – who said weights have gone up) and the minimum prizemoney on the day will be $60,000 (instead of $14,000).
The only jockeys that rode on this day 20 years ago that are still riding are Steven King, Jason Taylor, Graham Watson, Robert Thompson, Eddie Wilkinson, Jim Byrne and David Hayse.
Interestingly only one female jockey, apprentice Marita Babb, rode on BTC Cup day 20 years ago (this year three female jockeys have one or more rides at acceptance time, fully-fledged Tegan Harrison and apprentices Sarah Eilbeck and Brooke Stower) and Marita was a three-kilo claiming apprentice at the time and she claimed her full allowance when she rode Full Suit, the 3/1 equal favourite, in the last race on the card, to finish fourth.
Here are the three placegetters in six of the seven races whilst the full finishing order is advised in the Foster’s Cup:
R
NAME/TIME/MARGINS
HORSE/JOCKEY/TRAINER
WT
PL
SP
1
Carlton Cold Class 6
2200 metres
Prince Equus – M. Lister (a) – S. Andrew
49.5
1
10/1
2.22.88 – ½ length x 2 lengths
The Peak – S. King
53.5
2
6/4
Prizemoney $14,000
Narooma Guy – D. Craven
53.0
3
9/2
2
Power’s Gold 3YO
1640 metres
The Winslow Boy – G. Watson – K. Hansen
52.0
1
5/1
1.44.76 – 1.75 lengths x neck
Majestic Fire – M. Aspinall
52.0
2
33/1
Prizemoney $14,000
Just Amigo – R. Thompson
52.5
3
9/2
3
Foster’s Lite Ice 2YO
1640 metres
Hornet – B. York – G. Mance
54.0
1
7/1
1.45.30 – 3.25 lengths x neck
Blue Balloon – P. Wolfgram
52.0
2
20/1
Prizemoney $14,000
Merino King – J. Byrne
52.5
3
13/2
4
Power’s Bitter Class 6 F&M
1350 metres
Feel The Rhythm – D. Hayse (a) – S. Birney
50.0
1
9/2
1.24.34 – 1.25 lengths x neck
Anjshell – E. Wilkinson
53.5
2
8/1
Prizemoney $14,000
All Diamonds – B. York
52.5
3
9/1
5
Ice Cold Class 6 C&G
1350 metres
Big Rhumba – P. Wolfgram – B. Miller
52.0
1
12/1
1.23.92 – ¾ length x 1 length
Quick Return – J. Byrne
52.5
2
15/1
Prizemoney 14,000
Reacting – L. Olsen
55.0
3
4/1 EF
6
Carlton & United 3YO
1200 metres
Kidman’s Cove – L. Dittman – M. Mair
58.0
1
3/1
1.14.62 – 1 length x long head
Mr Rogers – A. Russell
52.0
2
6/1
Prizemoney $14,000
Carolina’s Music – D. Hayse
52.0
3
6/1
7
Foster’s Cup
1200 metres
Chief De Beers – L. Dittman – J. Calder
57.0
1
7/4
1.13.35 – ½ head x 1.75 lengths
Monopolize – P. Payne
57.0
2
20/1
Prizemoney $64,000
Gold Ace – S. King
55.0
3
11/2
Encores – B. York
55.0
4
15/1
Loader – L. Olsen
57.0
5
20/1
Flight To Fantasy – R.S. Dye
56.0
6
14/1
Moss Rocket – R. Thompson
57.0
7
14/1
Mamzelle Pedrille – G. Doughty
56.0
8
20/1
Country Lane – A. Russell
56.0
9
14/1
Modicum – G. Palmer
57.0
10
9/1
You Remember – D. Nikolic
57.0
11
6/1
Coberger – E. Wilkinson
57.0
12
33/1
8
Power’s Light
1640 metres
Lomas – M. Aspinall – J. Bannon
52.5
1
11/2
1.44.09 – 2.5 lengths x half neck
Forge On – B. York
57.5
2
7/2
Prizemoney $19,500
Harmonic Sea – R. Thompson
52.5
3
8/1
The winning apprentice jockey in Race 1, Mark Lister, claimed three kilos. Then apprentice David Hayse also claimed three kilos when he won Race 4 aboard Feel The Rhythm. Other claiming apprentices that rode at the meeting were Clayton Schumacher and Peter Marion.
The following jockeys all accepted rides at 52kgs and/or 52.5kgs, but each had to ride half-a-kilo over – Jim Byrne, Robert Thompson, Larry Olsen, Gary Palmer and Brian York.
Chief De Beers was the only favourite (SP 7/4) to win on the seven-race card. The other favourites and their finishing order, were, in race order The Peak (second – 6/4), Emma’s Affair (last – 11/8), Nual (fourth – 5/2), God’s Pride (fifth – 11/4), Latin Quarter (eighth as the 4/1 equal favourite), Trinity Lane (fifth at even money). In Race 8, the joint 3/1 equal favourites Full Suit and City Slicker ran fourth and sixth respectively.
With the heavy track, the numbers of starters in each race were decimated. The number of starters that appeared in each race was, in race order – 7, 7, 13, 8, 9, 6, 12 and 8 meaning the average field size in each race was 8.75.
Today on www.brisbaneracing.com.au there’s a story on a new book being released this weekend in memory of the late harness legend Joe Ilsley. And there’s also a story on how Victorian buyers bought more than 50% of the top priced broodmares at an Inglis Sydney sale last week.