Mount Isa Race Club’s name will gain a place in the Sunshine State’s racing history when it hosts Queensland’s first ever race meeting to be held on Good Friday.
Sixty six initial nominations have been received for the seven races that are scheduled to take place (the nomination deadline was extended) … and, whichever way the day pans out, it is currently set to be a big day out for the Julia Creek based trainer Tania Parry, who has nominated no less than thirty-three horses … that is an incredible fifty percent of the nominated runners … for this historic Good Friday meeting.
You could say that, at this stage at least, Parry’s nominations have saved a good couple of races on the card, but with acceptances only due at 11am on Wednesday it remains to be seen how the final fields will stand up and if the club can get enough jockeys to commit to taking rides.
Without Parry, only three races would have had more than four nominations.
In all, quite understandably given the location of Mount Isa, that only eight trainers have posted nominations for the Good Friday meeting, including Peter Inwood, Jay Morris, Emma Morton and Holly-Marie Robertson who are all based at Mount Isa.
Tanya Parry and Kerry Krogh are from Julia Creek, which is just under a three hour drive away from Mount Isa … Bevan Johnson is from Barcaldine, which is an eight hour drive from Mount Isa … and Shryn Royes is from Richmond, which is a four-and-a-half hour drive from Mount Isa.
To say it is a battle out there, in so many respects, for these trainers is an understatement, and they could be thrown another curved ball on Friday which could leave them battling the conditions with the weather forecast for the race-day coming in at stifling thirty-five degrees.
Some who call it a tough game will have no idea what bush trainers take on to keep racing going in the more remote areas or how much they deserve industry support.
Hopefully, Good Friday will be just that, and all will end well, allowing the club and the participants at Mount Isa to enjoy and celebrate a very special occasion.
