AQHA Classic Series Sprint Races
The 2017 saw the Inaugural AQHA
Classic Series Sprint Races hosted across three separate race meetings in Far North West Queensland. The series was run across Sedan Dip Races, Burketown Races and Normanton Sprint Races, with Normanton hosting the final event which saw the winner crowned.
The series was open to horses aged five years and under, according to the foaling date on their papers, as at 19th August 2017( the date of the first of the three race meets). Other nomination requirements included that the horses had to be registered with AQHA; owners were to be members of AQHA and the horses were required to be registered and nominated in their owner’ s name. The AQHA Classic Series kicked off on August 19th at Sedan Dip Races, approximately 100km from Julia Creek. The Series began with a field of 12 horses. The full field was as follows:
Flyaway Ruby- Q-78878 Bluestone Cadberry- A2-2773 Mystify- Q-78565 Cha Cha La Belle- Q78566 Jabelle Aint She Fancy- Q-78631 Miss Grand Ala- Q-84522 Traditional Dozen- Q-75905 Sullivans Easy Chick- A2-3283 Dash ta Ambush- A1-11121 Sweetlee Cash- A1-10655 Kellys Last- Q-82215 Rosies Mornin Roc- Q-79758
Over the field, there were a wide array of stallions represented, including SLR Mojos Workin, Sullivans Rocket, Like A Rock, Ala Dozen, Cash on Loan, Winning Deck, Seconds Ta Fame, Treena Boom Deck and Phantom of the Roc.
At Sedan Dip, the first race of the classic series was won by Mystify, an impressive four year old mare owned by Tony Smith. Second was Sullivans Easy Chick owned by Paul Stephens and coming in third was Russell Kilah’ s mare Miss Grand Ala. Race two at Sedan Dip was again taken out by Tony Smith, with Cha Cha Labelle proving too quick for the Northern horses on this occasion. Second in race 2 was Dash Ta Ambush, owned by Peta Murrihy and third was Kellys Last owned by Dave McCann.
With points being allocated as seven for first, down to two points for sixth, the Victorian horses took an early lead in the Classic Series, and Tony Smith certainly looked to have made his trip north worthwhile!
The next round in the series was held at Burketown the following weekend, 26th August. Each race( one and two at Sedan Dip and one and two at Burketown) were drawn randomly, live on facebook prior to the start of the series. At Burketown, race one was a dead heat between Sullivans Easy Chick and Dash Ta Ambush with Cha Cha Labelle coming in third. The winner of race two at Burketown of the Classic Series was Dave McCann’ s impressive horse, Kellys Last. Second in this heat was Mystify and coming in third was Troy Gallagher’ s Sweetlee Cash. Other results at Burketown included a win to Mystify, from Casey( Like a Rock) and Jabelle Mighty Judge. In the Cup, Jabelle Mighty Judge was the winner, from Georgie Girl( TB) and Panama Paladin in third. So, at the end of all of the heats, we had seen five different winners, which made for an exciting build up to the final in Normanton on 2nd September.
At the Normanton Sprint Races, in addition to the Final for the top eight horses across the AQHA Classic Series, there were seven other races on the program, with prizemoney totalling $ 22,000. The races were run across varying distances, from 400m down to a 100m race to end the day.
The bottom ranked four horses from the AQHA Classic Series, together with several unregistered quarter horses ran off in one event, for Rosies Mornin Roc to win ahead of Jabelle Aint She Fancy and Flyaway Ruby in third. An additional race open to AQHA registered horses only was run over 300m. In this event Ala Gator took home the prizemoney ahead of Jabelle Mighty Judge and Kellys Last.
On the day, Race 4 was the main event – the AQHA Cloncurry Mustering Classic Final. With $ 7000 up as the total prize money, and $ 3500 of this awarded to the winner, this event was hotly contested, and is sure to continue to be a highlight on the racing calendar in North Queensland for sprint racing enthusiasts. The race was close, and it took a couple of looks at the video before Tony Smith’ s Cha Cha Labelle was named the winner. In second was Sullivans Easy Chick followed by Dash Ta Ambush third, Miss Grand Ala fourth, Kellys Last fifth, Mystify sixth, Sweetlee Cash seventh and Traditional Dozen eighth.
Of particular note in the Classic Series were some of the younger horses in the field, which will defnintely be the horses to look out for next year. These horses which really bear some watching are Sullivan’ s Easy Chick, Flyaway Ruby, Kellys Last, Jabelle Aint She Fancy and Miss Grand Ala.
Other winners across Normanton Sprint Races were: Casey( Like A Rock) who took out both the 300m and 400m events; Black Magic( Like a Rock) taking out the 100m Sprint; Cha Cha La Belle( Like a Rock) in a 200m event; and Panama Paladin( Ala Dozen) in another 200m race.
The AQHA Classic Series is a great step forward for Quarter Horse Sprint Racing in North Queensland and wider. The Series itself boasted $ 14000 in prizemoney – making it attractive for people to travel the distances required to compete. Across the three race meetings, there was $ 34,000 in total prizemoney.
Interest and participation in the sport of Quarter Horse Sprint Racing continues to grow in the region, and it is hoped that this series and these impressive events will attract more Quarter Horse breeders and trainers to compete. Up north, there are a lot of people keen to see how the AQHA Classic Series, and the sport of Quarter Horse Sprint Racing, continues to develop.
Already there have been interested people out buying next year’ s Classic horses – so the interest is definitely growing.
A big thank you must be extended to everyone involved – owners, jockeys, sponsors, volunteers and of course AQHA for the amazing support.
Melissa McManus riding Cha Cha La Belle Q-78566 for the win in the final at Normanton
Dave McCann on Kellys Last Q-82215 coming in ahead of Lee Bowker on Mystify Q-78565 at Burketown
Paul Stephens and Sullivans Easy Chick and Peta Murrihy and Dash ta Ambush A1-11121, who tied for a win in a heat at Burketown
Owners of the Classic Horses at Sedan Dip: George Schneekloth, Russell Kilah, Paul Edwards, Paul Stephens, Ashley Gallagher, Emmy Lou Gallagher, Tony Smith, Steve McCann, Peta Murrihy and Troy Gallagher.
November • December • 2017 • The Australian Quarter Horse Magazine • Page 15