Re: The Horse Racing Thread

[WideWally]

Amazing win by Incentivise in this year's Caulfield Cup. He started from the outside barrier, covered a lot of extra ground, carried equal top weight & absolutely bolted in. I have been watching him closely since I first saw him win a BM70 at Toowoomba by 7.3 lengths back in May & can now say he is one of my favourite horses of all time.

[JGK]

I got him at 13s for the MC a couple of months ago.

So he’s no chance.

[WideWally]

Flightline has produced one of the greatest performances ever seen when winning the G1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar in USA. He won by 19¼ lengths over Country Grammer, the Dubai World Cup victor earlier in the year. Flightline has now won 5 races from 5 starts.

[JGK]

Any early tips for the Melbourne Cup Wally?

[WideWally]

Any early tips for the Melbourne Cup Wally?

Usually, when I decide that like something early on, they go lame the following week. So, these days I wait until the final field is released the previous Saturday night.

[WideWally]

Former Qld Bulls batsman aiming to hit Victoria Derby for six

Not so long ago, former Queensland Bulls batsman Charlie Hemphrey was earning $30 an hour as a casual worker helping to fix the Eagle Farm track.

Now he is daring to dream about scoring the $2m Victoria Derby.

Hemphrey was born and raised in England but moved to Queensland where he made his Bulls debut in 2015.

His cricket career, which featured 51 first-class games, came to an abrupt end when he lost his Queensland contract in 2020 and was then also released by Glamorgan after returning to the UK but being classified as a non-English qualified player due to his time in Australia.

England and Glamorgan's financial need to optimise the incentives for fielding players qualified to represent England effectively ended his professional cricket career.

While many cricketers enjoy golf or fishing as their leisure time pursuits, Hemphrey had always taken a keen interest in racing and went to work for the Brisbane Racing Club firstly as a member of the track staff and then as a barrier attendant.

It was then he struck up an association with the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr stable and their foreman and trackwork rider Tim Suttie.

It lead to Hemphrey purchasing a 20 per cent share in young New Zealand bred galloper Cadazio.

Cadazio, a veteran of just two starts including a booming maiden win at Geelong, is now on the second line of Victoria Derby betting as an $8 chance.

Cadazio, who Hemphrey syndicated his share out to friends, will be looking to frank his Derby credentials on Saturday when racing in the Listed Super Impose Stakes over 1800m at Flemington.

As manager of the OTS Racing syndicate (OTS is named to represent "Over The (River) Severn" which is the start of the Glamorgan team song), Hemphrey will be at Flemington with his young son to cheer on Cadazio.

"When I purchased a share in Cadazio, I was a casual working at Eagle Farm and helping with the Eagle Farm track on $30 an hour," Hemphrey, 33, said.

"Financially I was fine from cricket and I got a payout, but I thought syndicating my share out was the best thing to do because I didn't know what the future was.

"Since the first day I met Tim Suttie he went on about Tarzinos, saying they were tough, underrated and clean winded.

"I could have kept a couple per cent of the horse myself – but I am actually invested anyway as I will get looked after if the horse ends up recouping the initial outlay and then winning prizemoney.

"He was purchased with the Derby in mind."

Cadazio was last seen finishing 11th in the Exford Plate but was ridden upside down and settled near the back as 1400m was way short of his best.

Hemphrey believes as the distances increase, you will see Cadazio more suited and rolling along near the lead.

"He is a relentless galloper and I think you will see a different horse on Saturday," Hemphrey said.

"He doesn't like going back, he wants to be strolling along at the front end of the race but if you did that over 1400(m) you would gut the horse.

"It was a complete upside down race for him last start – hopefully the bookies bet a nice price on Saturday."

Hemphrey now works at Racing Queensland, managing the state's lucrative QTIS bonus prizemoney scheme.

He intends to head down to Melbourne again for the Derby – although there is one thing that could stop him in his tracks.

"My wife and I are due to have our second child in early November and the Derby is on October 29," Hemphrey said.

"If I can't get down for the Derby, there is a good reason."

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