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