By Tony McMahon
Oaklands Stud, Darling Downs repeated the result-dose of the recent Breeders Plate by filling the trifecta in the $29K QTIS 2YO Maiden (1050m) at Callaghan Park last Friday.
The trio of winner Queen Of Style (Nathan Day, $3.70), runner-up Evie’s Lass (Matthew Gray, $4.60) and third placegetter Serioustemptation (Nathan Thomas, $10.00) were bred and sold by Neville Stewart of Oakland’s Stud.
The stud has unquestionably been the cornerstone of Rockhampton’s annual yearling sale for well over a decade with Stewart entering 21 yearlings for the 2019 version and the subsequent results have been spectacular.
In the Breeders Fillies Plate at Callaghan Park on November 8, the Oaklands bred Sidereus filly Miss Lot Won defeated Serioustemptation (Sidereus-Wicked Temptation) while Friday’s winner Queen Of Style (Wicked Style-Antiquity) finished third.
Stewart has been despatching yearlings to Rockhampton’s Capricornia Yearling Sale for almost 20 years and without question as subsequent racehorses they have played a vital role in Rockhampton racing’s successful horse pool.
It is to be hoped that Oaklands despatches another quality draft to the 2020 sale in April next year given the pivotal role their numbers and quality have on its outcome.
Furthermore, Oaklands is now the home of the champion international stallion Power and hopefully his first Australian yearlings will be among the 2021 CYS catalogue which would prove a huge lure for southern buyers to come to Rockhampton.
Queen Of Style raced by a syndicate headed by cattleman Tom Acton sold for $18K while the placegetters Evie’s Lass was a bargain $5k purchase from the 2019 CYS.
Brisbane’s Nathan Day, who has no peer in regional Queensland when it comes to race riding juvenile horses was luckily snapped up by trainer Fred Smith for Queen Of Style when his daughter Elly had to honour an oversees holiday booking.
Elly, who rode Queen Of Style in the Breeder’s booked to leave for Singapore and The Maldives on Thursday after Friday’s race meeting had been originally scheduled for last Tuesday.
However, well after Elly had paid for and booked the trip, the date was transferred from November 26 to November 29 hence Day’s booking and her absence.
A highly competitive jockey, Day capped off a huge two days race riding last Friday after a successful afternoon at the Mackay TAB races on Thursday.
At both venues Nathan Day, known affectionally as “Grubby” rode winning doubles as well as winning two lucrative QTIS bonus races which meant his riding earnings were far removed from his nickname amounting to almost $5800.
Exceeding Day’s winning numbers at Mackay and Rockhampton by one winner over the 48 hours were four Capricornia Yearling Sale graduates. These being L’Amour Malade; Marron Cheval; Queen Of Style; Marway and Diamond Account.
This further emphasises the massive impact the Rockhampton sale has on the local racing economy and reaffirms the crucial importance of the CYS future success.
The stage is now set for the early Christmas race meeting at Callaghan Park next Saturday, December 7 with indications being it will attract excellent patronage.