Latest news with #Cloudland
News.com.au
05-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Josh Parr keeps his form surge going as Cloudland storms home for another first-up win at Rosehill
Jockey Josh Parr continued his late season form surge when propelling eye-catching grey Cloudland to another first-up triumph at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Parr and Cloudland powered home from just worse than midfield, surging down the middle in the straight to stylishly score in the Foundation Female Member Benchmark 88 Handicap (1200m). It was in stark contrast to his earlier all the way victory on Storm The Ramparts but brought up another winning double for the in-form hoop. Parr, who had a treble seven days earlier at Rosehill Gardens, endured a somewhat lean winter in Brisbane but has been riding the crest of wave since turning his focus back to his home state and is eager to keep the hot streak going. 'When a jockey is in form and confident, things just happen and they happen without you even thinking about it,' Parr said. 'You just have ride the wave and everyone is on that rollercoaster. 'You've got to enjoy it when it's here.' Cloudland was a three-time winner fresh before Saturday but the Kris Lees -trained galloper was sent out as a $21 outsider in his return. Parr would have been smiling to himself during the run with a genuine tempo affording runners back in the pack with every chance. He hit the front on Cloudland inside the final 150m and held the Joe Pride -trained Cosmonova ($9.50) to a length margin with J ames Cummings ' Fleetwood ($11) close up in third. 'He gave me a really good effort today,' Parr said. 'The speed was on which was nice and we found that three-wide with cover line and he really appreciated it. â˜�ï¸� Away with the clouds! â˜�ï¸� Cloudland storms home first up, and that's a Rosehill double to @JoshuaParr8! @LeesKris @OTIRacing @aus_turf_club â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 5, 2025 • Pride's crack sprinter Storms to another victory 'He is a horse that you can't bully around too much. You have to allow him to please himself and I think in that position with room, he appreciated it. 'We saw a really good turn of foot from him, albeit maybe 50 yards too soon, but I am glad he put enough of a gap in them to hold on late.' Lees' stable representative Danny Greer said the stable were expecting another bold first-up performance from Cloudland. 'We quietly confident coming here today, we were just a little bit worried about the draw,' he said. 'We knew they would run along early and give him the chance to find the line strongly. 'It was a really nice from Josh Parr as well, it's always nice when we can connection with him.' Greer indicated the Listed $200,000 Ramornie Handicap at Grafton could come up too quick for Cloudland. Meanwhile, the Ciaron Maher -trained Hi Dubai highlighted her tenacity to hold off all challengers in the Captivant @ Kia Ora Handicap (1100m). Star apprentice Braith Nock was able to control things from out in front and Hi Dubai ($3.10 equal favourite) had enough in the tank late to edge out the flying Savagery Vibe ($3.10 equal favourite) to his inside. How about that finish?! Hi Dubai has somehow held on 🤯🤯 Braith Nock on the board for Ciaron Maher ðŸ'�ðŸ'� @NockBraith @cmaherracing @Dynamic_WONIT â€' 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) July 5, 2025 • Snowden youngster proves a winter Force after hat-trick 'I just wanted to make sure we got that mid-race breather,' Nock said. 'It takes quite a while to wind up so I just wanted to get going at the 500m and build momentum. 'It worked out good.' Hi Dubai had been building towards another victory this preparation following a pair of close thirds at Royal Randwick to begin her preparation. The daughter of Highland Reel has now banked more than $320,000 for connections with a record of four wins and six placings from 14 starts. 'She deserved it,' Maher's stable representative Johann Gerard-Dubord said. 'It was the right set up, third up and very fit. 'Stepping up to 1100m with some give in the track, all the boxes were ticked but she had to be tough. 'We would like a few more like her. She was beaten a few times down the straight but she kept kicking and obviously the claim helped.' Jason Deamer -trained African Daisy.
Forbes
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
McLemore Keeps Getting Better As A Golf Getaway With New Course Debut
The closing hole of the original course at McLemore Resort in Georgia has been recognized as one of ... More the best finishing holes in golf. And helped give rise to an expansion at McLemore that includes a new 18-hole course called The Keep. The 18th hole at the original Highlands course at McLemore Resort gets incredible attention in social media posts, and deservedly so. The cliff-hugging par 4 is among the most impressive finishing holes in golf and has given rise to McLemore's tagline 'Golf Above the Clouds' while spawning significant interest in the mountaintop destination property tucked into the corner of northwest Georgia. While the 18th hole of the Highlands Course may command attention, it's the new course at McLemore that will soon be the scene-stealer. Spread across a plateau atop Lookout Mountain, The Keep takes its name from the majestic cliffside views reminiscent of Europe's historic castles. The Bill Bergin and Rees Jones design, which officially made its debut this year, offers dramatic holes situated 1,000 feet above McLemore Cove's valley floor. 'The setting for The Keep is extraordinary due to its mix of naturally rolling terrain and the edge of the ridge line,' said Bergin. 'We were able to combine a well-balanced golf experience with captivating views to create an unmatched experience.' The 18th hole at The Keep, the newest course at the McLemore Resort in Northwest Georgia. McLemore operates The Keep as a member club, however the new course is accessible to guests staying at the Cloudland at McLemore Resort, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. But The Keep isn't simply complementing the existing course and the golf offerings at McLemore, it's immediately positioned as one of the most jaw-dropping new additions to the world of destination golf. While the opening and closing holes of the Highlands Course offer long-range views of the surrounding area, The Keep offers a far more expansive mountain golf experience with breathtaking vistas throughout. The Keep is essentially a links-style design on a mountain tabletop, with five holes that play along the cliff edges, called 'brows.' The 'Wow factor' is about as high as the setting at The Keep, which features windswept width and angles, visually dynamic exposed rock, and a healthy dose of elevation change that fits the mountain theme on a layout that's currently walking-only. The 10th hole at The Keep in the foreground sits on the edge of the ridgeline, while the other back ... More nine holes in the distance climb up and down the rolling terrain atop Lookout Mountain. As the course climbs and dives across the landscape from holes 14-16, the views and challenge are enough to quiet even longtime and loquacious Golf Channel host Charlie Rymer, who today is an executive vice president for McLemore. 'At that stretch, even I let other people talk for a while,' Rymer said during a recent lunch at McLemore's golf clubhouse restaurant, The Creag, where the former PGA Tour player spoke so highly of the property that he didn't take a bite of his sandwich for over an hour. This is no small feat for the 6-foot-4 Rymer, who guests will find has a corner of the McLemore golf shop with apparel size XXL and above named after him. As good as the Highlands Course is – in particular, that bucket-list 18th hole that's inspired some serious golf wanderlust on social media – Rymer says there's no question which is his favorite course. And which course will emerge as the top choice of visiting golfers. The Keep is just that good, despite being laid out on a rocky expanse of land that Bergin, who has been involved in more than 100 course projects, says wasn't exactly made for golf. The ninth green along the cliffside at The Keep at McLemore. Once home to only trees and jeep trails, along with an old still for making moonshine, the land required intensive clearing – about 200 acres in total – but not a lot of dirt moving. The fairways, greens, bunkers and teeing areas are spacious, in keeping with the scale of a site which is dictated by its expansive views. The layout is both strategic and memorable, with natural beauty that at times may pose a distraction. 'We are very proud of the routing and how it allows each hole to stand on its own regarding memorability, yet one never loses the big picture or the views,' said Bergin. McLemore's par-3 short course, The Cairn, sits in the foreground with the resort's golf clubhouse in ... More the back right and the 18th hole of the original Highlands course sitting on the edge of the cliff to the left. Beyond golf, McLemore immediately thrusts itself into the conversation as a conference and corporate getaway for Atlanta-based companies and businesses throughout Georgia which have long turned to places like the Ritz-Carlton at Reynolds Lake Oconee and Callaway Resort & Gardens. And the Chattanooga market is even closer, just over 1/2 hour away from the McLemore resort, while Nashville, Knoxville, Birmingham and Huntsville are all two hours or less away. Cloudland is the definition of a getaway, with a 245-room hotel, 20,000 square-foot conference center, a full-service spa and fitness center, and a multitude of dining options perched on cliffs more than 2,000 feet above sea level. There are also four guest golf cottages along with spacious residential homes and villas that are part of the broader master-planned McLemore community. Last year marked the unveiling of the Golf Village, an intimate enclave of single-family homes near the main clubhouse. The golf clubhouse at McLemore at twilight. The 18th hole of the original course at McLemore may have thrust the north Georgia property into the national consciousness as a must-see golf destination, but the addition of the second course will keep it there for years to come.
