11/02/16
The day is Saturday 6 June 1998 – and that means it’s Stradbroke day.
And thanks to an obviously astute and wonderful elderly man and website devotee who contacted me through a friend and offered me his racing books that he’d acquired over some decades, I can pen this article today.
I must say this man nearly caused a divorce as my wife got “a bit fizzy” when she knew I had cartons of racing books that required space. But in her heart of hearts she was astute enough to know after 39 years that “he’s a keeper” – so all was good.
So in due course over the years I’ll be able to put up stories involving historical race results. In a bygone era, all Australian thoroughbred racing results came out annually in a big and beautifully bound book named “Australian Race Results” as per the associated photo with this story.
Stradbroke day at Eagle Farm in 1998 – 18 years ago – was an interesting day at the track as a horse called Toledo not only won the Stradbroke, but he also broke the Eagle Farm track record stopping the clock at 1.20.20. That time standard also broke the national 1400-metre record and almost 18 years later, the Russell Cameron trained, Brian York ridden, Toledo still holds both the Eagle Farm and national 1400-metre record.
Here are the full results of the meeting at Eagle Farm on Stradbroke day 1998 – the meeting was noted as being run on a “fast” track on a fine day with the rail in the true position. For the benefit of our younger reader, if there is one young person somewhere around the world who is genuinely interested in racing, there was none of this silly watering of tracks on the night before the meeting and all the allied garbage that takes place nowadays. And the words “track bias” hadn’t entered thoroughbred racing vernacular, so if a track was like concrete, so be it – the track was simply rated “fast”.
RACE
RACE/TIME/MARGIN
HORSE/HOOP/TRAINER
WT
PL
SP
1
Listed 2YO Super QRIS
1200 metres
Mana – Greg Hall – Ron Cameron
55
1
20/1
1.10.4 – 1 length x half neck
Macks Creek – J. Byrne
54.5
2
3/1
P/money $40,000
Cling Tight – J.Taylor
52
3
100/1
King Salieri – L. Cassidy
54
4
13/8F
Our Partner – M.J. Cahill
55
5
20/1
Pennzoil – S. Seamer
53
6
9/1
Computer King – Ms B. Cooper
53
7
20/1
Batu – C. Munce
52
8
30/1
Golden Mile – L. Dittman
53
9
12/1
Mister I Am – M. Pelling
56
10
10/1
Mr Solo – B. York
55
11
20/1
Marauding Rogue – J. Marshall
54
12
16/1
Bullet Action – S. King
53.5
13
16/1
Cardigan – E. Wilkinson
53
14
20/1
Heavenly Cid – K. Moses
53
15
66/1
2
Fillies & Mares Open
1300 metres
Dynamic Reason – Ms B. Cooper – Paul Sutherland
54
1
5/1
1.16.2 – head x short half head
Zalinda – R.S. Dye
51
2
7/1
P/money $40,000
Cenglow – M. Pelling
54.5
3
25/1
Gunalda – J. Piper (a)
48.5
4
6/1
Brittany Miss – J. Marshall
53
5
11/8F
Recharia – G. Hall
52
6
7/1
Power Nap – S. Seamer
52.5
7
12/1
Cosmic Idol – C. Munce
53
8
12/1
Seek Glory – M.J. Cahill
55.5
9
25/1
Ruling Chariot – J. Byrne
52.5
10
25/1
Direct Attaque – B. Compton
56
11
16/1
3
Class 6 1200 metres
Dual Photon – M. de Montfort – Ian Macpherson
56
1
9/4F
1.9.6 – 1.25 lengths x ¾ length
Dapples – L. Cassidy
55.5
2
12/1
P/Money $40,000
Proven Law – S. King
55.5
3
7/1
Fine Fabric – C. Munce
53.5
4
12/1
Drama Amour – J. Piper (a)
54
5
15/4
Metal Merchant – K. Moses
53
6
14/1
Glint of Heart – S. Seamer
56
7
8/1
Bintang – L. Dittman
53
8
10/1
Not Too Vain – C. Maund (a)
51
9
30/1
Networks – J. Byrne
53.5
10
16/1
Step Sprightly – M.J. Cahill
53
11
20/1
He’s Crafty – R. Thompson
52
12
100/1
Trail Boss – M. Pelling
52
13
40/1
Athenry – G. Cooksley
53.5
14
25/1
Commentator – M. Lister
52
15
125/1
4
1MW Queensland Day H/cap
2200 metres
State Crown – M. de Montfort – Tim Donnelly
56
1
11/2F
2.13.1 – neck x half length
Hook Shot – B. York
55
2
14/1
P/money $40,000
Platonic – L. Cassidy
53
3
8/1
Seaweed – R. Thompson
53
4
12/1
Sealand – K. Moses
52
5
16/1
Dance To Glory – G. Cooksley
56
6
15/1
Silver Roman – M.J. Cahill
53
7
8/1
Freedom Road – G. Childs
53.5
8
12/1
Kyraat – S. Seamer
52
9
20/1
Flaxmill Bay – J. Byrne
52
10
12/1
Shoeshine Man – C. Munce
58
11
20/1
All War – M. Lister
52
12
50/1
Roving Boy – E. Wilkinson
52
13
25/1
Celestial Abby – M. Pelling
52.5
14
30/1
Starsphere – G. Colless
52
15
25/1
Interchange – S. King
52
16
15/1
Now Is The Hour – R.S. Dye
52
17
8/1
Rivadel – J. Marshall
52
18
16/1
Play House – J. Taylor
52
19
100/1
Jinsky – L. Dittman
54
20
33/1
5
Listed Eagle Farm Stakes
2200 metres
Chatham – N. Harris – Sue Walsh
54
1
3/1F
2.13.3 – half length x 1 length
Cronus – G. Cooksley
58
2
9/2
P/money $50,000
Our Silky Oak – B. York
53.5
3
13/4
Free Mover – G. Hall
51
4
8/1
Jewel Of The Pride – L. Cassidy
51
5
11/2
Faux Tiara – S. Seamer
51.5
6
50/1
Zero Limit – G. Colless
54
7
10/1
Reasons – R.S. Dye
53
8
6/1
Regal Royal – M. Pelling
51.5
9
25/1
Aphasia – B. Compton
51
10
33/1
6
Group 1 Queensland Derby
2400 metres
Dodge –L. Cassidy – John Hawkes
55.5
1
15/4F
2.29.1 – neck x neck
Melora – V. Colgan
54
2
9/1
P/Money $395,000 plus $3,000 of trophies
Bluebird The Word – B. York
55.5
3
7/1
Karlperra – S. Treweek
55.5
4
100/1
Spying – R.S. Dye
55.5
5
6/1
Marsking – K. Moses
55.5
6
8/1
Sister Theresa – L. Dittman
54
7
10/1
Lucky Bear – J. Marshall
55.5
8
11/1
Neartist – J. Byrne
55.5
9
33/1
Seawizz – G. Colless
54
10
25/1
Buster Jones – S. King
55.5
11
20/1
Aggie’s Heart – G. Childs
55.5
12
10/1
Count Scenario – C. Munce
55.5
13
50/1
Glasgow – S. Seamer
55.5
14
100/1
Insecure – M. Pelling
55.5
15
25/1
Zacheline – G. Cooksley
54
16
12/1
Bridleman – G. Hall
55.5
17
25/1
Whips N Spurs – G.M. Stewart
55.5
18
50/1
Silver Pelt – E. Wilkinson
55.5
19
160/1
Buckridge – M. Lister
55.5
20
60/1
7
Group 1 Stradbroke
1400 metres
Toledo – B. York – Russell Cameron
52
1
14/1
1.20.2 Track record – half length x 2.5 lengths
Monopolize – G. Hall
53.5
2
9/1
P/money $1,000,000 plus trophies $15,000
Blazing Steel – J. Byrne
52.5
3
7/1
Show No Emotion – S. King
52.5
4
12/1
Mulugwa – R.S. Dye
50.5
5
4/1F
City Hall – E. Wilkinson
49
6
25/1
Al Mansour – D. Brereton
55.5
7
6/1
Monet’s Cove – S. Seamer
52
8
100/1
Staging – G. Colless
52
9
15/2
Galactic Valley – R. Thompson
51
10
11/1
Quick Flick – M. de Montfort
56.5
11
25/1
Super Dane – J. Marshall
51
12
20/1
Lomas – M. Lister
49
13
100/1
Chief de Beers – L. Dittman
56.5
14
14/1
Zuccherino – M. Pelling
52
15
33/1
Poetic King – K. Moses
56
16
33/1
Kidman’s Cove – G. Cooksley
53
17
50/1
Happy Star – G Childs
54
18
33/1
Confiscate – L. Cassidy
53.5
19
33/1
Snow Beauty – C. Munce
48.5
20
16/1
8
2MW 1500 metres
Captain Smooth – M. Lister – Doug Duryea
52
1
14/1
1.28.3 – 1.75 lengths x 1.25 lengths
Treasury Chips – S. Katsidis (a)
54
2
9/1
P/money $40,000
Sierra Oscar – J. Piper (a)
54
3
11/4F
Palatinski Kingdom – M. Pelling
52.5
4
33/1
Blue Turns To Grey – G. Doughty
57
5
7/2
Don Bellotto – C. Maund (a)
56.5
6
20/1
Lumberjack – G. Colless
52
7
30/1
Crooked Blaze – M.J. Cahill
52.5
8
33/1
Allendale Road – Ms K. Purdy
52
9
33/1
Fra Omega – G. Cooksley
54.5
10
6/1
Sky City Heights – G. Childs
53.5
11
25/1
Vautin – B. York
52.5
12
8/1
Retirement – C. Reith (a)
52.5
13
12/1
Gimmick – R.S. Dye
53.5
14
8/1
Calvert Prince – J. Byrne
52.5
15
25/1
The Downsman – A. Kennedy
54
16
50/1
After reviewing the results of Stradbroke day 1998 there are many interesting points I can note and some are noted below:
1 – Prizemoney on normal races was $40,000 per race. Last Saturday prizemoney on a normal race at Doomben, excluding any QTIS bonuses, was $65,000.
2 – The Stradbroke in 1998 was worth $1 million. Amazingly in 2012 some 14 years later when Mid Summer Music won the race it was still only worth $1 million. One would reasonably think that the Brisbane Racing Club could have tipped in a few dollars from their vast reserves to give it a bit of a top-up at some point in those 14 years – but not so. In 2013 when Linton won and 2014 when River Lad won it was worth $1,380,000 plus $20,000 worth of trophies. Then in 2015 when Srikandi won it was worth $2 million plus $23,000 worth of trophies but the Racing Queensland Board that approved that $2 million madness has since been thankfully sacked by the Annastacia Palaszczuk Labor government. In 2016 the Stradbroke is to be worth $1.5 million in total prizemoney.
3 – The Group 1 Queensland Derby of 1998 was worth $395,000 in total prizemoney. Last year when Magicool won the race it was worth $600,000 in total prizemoney.
4 – They carry on with all this rot about Michelle Payne winning the Melbourne Cup of 2015 but women were achieving in 1998 on Stradbroke day as now Sky Channel saddle warmer Bernadette Cooper rode the winner of the second race. And a New Zealand female trainer, Sue Walsh, won one of the features with Chatham.
5 – Apart from Jason Piper, other apprentice jockeys to ride on Stradbroke day 1998 at Eagle Farm were Stathi Katsidis, Chris Maund and Christian Reith.
6 – Two jockeys that rode on the day are no longer with us. Stathi Katsidis and Arron Kennedy.
7 – Now Sydney based trainer Mark de Montfort starred in the jockey ranks on the day, riding a double, courtesy of Dual Photon in Race 3 and State Crown in Race 4.
8 – In an unusual occurrence, two people with the surname of Cameron each won a race. Ron Cameron won the first race with Mana, whilst Russell Cameron won the Stradbroke Handicap with Toledo.
9 – Greg Hall rode Race 1 winner Mana and got beaten half-a-length in the Stradbroke on Monopolize. Some 15 years later his son Nick went one better when he won the Stradbroke on Linton in 2013 at 25/1.
10 – Notice how limits have increased between 1998 and the present day? In the Queensland Derby of 1998 males carried 55.5kgs and females carried 54kgs whereas last year males carried 57kgs and no fillies competed in the race but had one started in the race she would have carried 55kgs. The limit weight in the Stradbroke in 1998 was 48kgs, whereas the lowest weight carried in the 2015 Stradbroke was 50.5kgs (Lumosty – C. Brown). The limit in a normal Saturday Brisbane race now is 54kgs, whereas in 1998, before any apprentice allowances were taken into account, it was noted as being 52kgs in a normal $40,000 total prizemoney race and 51kgs in both the fillies and mares race won by Dynamic Reason and the Eagle Farm Stakes won by Chatham. That latter race that Chatham won was a “Quality Handicap”.
Watch for more interesting historical articles from a bygone era to appear on this website as time allows.