Latest news with #IpswichCup
Herald Sun
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Sydney-based jockey Winona Costin considering move to Queensland
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. The lure of riding in the warmer climate of southeast Queensland could prove too hard to resist for Sydney-based jockey Winona Costin. While she has no immediate plans to relocate north, Costin hasn't ruled out following in the footsteps of fellow female jockey Cejay Graham, who has made a success of moving from Port Macquarie in NSW to Brisbane in 2023. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Costin has six rides at Doomben on Saturday – all for different trainers – with her best chance being the James Ponsonby-trained Philipsburg ($15) in a Benchmark 78 over 2000m. But Costin's work won't finish at Doomben – she will then drive up the Warrego Highway for Saturday night racing at Toowoomba where she will ride Drunken Sailor and Sonny Fella for Ponsonby. On Sunday the Hawkesbury trainer will head home, stopping at Grafton to drop off Costin, who has been booked for two rides at the NSW provincial track. • Doomben Saturday tips, analysis: $5.50 best bet 'You never know,' Costin said about the possibility of shifting to Brisbane following a string of hit-and-run missions to southeast Queensland. 'If I get good enough traction then there's always a chance. I'm not a tree so I can move. 'It's always good in the warmer weather, too. 'Cejay has gone so well up there which is very inspiring. If I can get good traction up there when I fly in and fly out, you never know what the future holds.' The 30-year-old Costin can't wait to jump back on 70-race veteran Philipsburg, who won back-to-back contests at Doomben and Eagle Farm at Benchmark 80 and 90 level respectively in the space of seven days in April. She also rode the seven-year-old gelding in his last-start, a disappointing eighth out of 13 runners in the $250,000 Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m) on June 21. Winona Costin steering Philipsburg (right) to victory in a race at Doomben in April. Picture: Trackside Photography 'I've ridden him since he was young and he's definitely one of my favourite horses,' Costin said. 'He's got a lot of character – he's a funny old bugger – and he's in good order. 'He ran really well (in the Ipswich Cup) but the track was just playing a bit too on-pace for him. 'I was happy with the way he came home and he got a bit tightened on the corner as well.' • Rodd upbeat despite latest injury setback Costin has certainly done it tough over her journey, fighting back from 12 months on the sidelines in 2017 after battling debilitating concussion symptoms. She was knocked out three times in a race or trial falls and went through a dark period when she struggled to speak, kept falling asleep and lost almost all her memory. 'Having a year off was definitely not on the cards but I'm glad I was able to ride again and be back to being 100 per cent right,' Costin told Racenet on Friday on her way to riding in Scone. 'I was always determined to come back, I wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. 'The neurologist in Sydney wouldn't clear me so I had to fly to Melbourne to find one who would clear me. I'm thankful for that. 'It was hard. I can't even remember most of the year to be honest. I was very tired, I'd forget things a lot and I was very sensitive to light. But that's all in the past now.' And the future looks as bright as a warm winter's day in the Sunshine State for a jockey with fierce determination and a strong desire to win. Originally published as Sydney-based jockey Winona Costin considering move to Queensland
News.com.au
23-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Flash Aah's part-owner Pat Fulton was in her Darwin jewellery store last Friday when decided to catch a last-minute flight to Queensland
Flash Aah's part-owner Pat Fulton was working in her Darwin jewellery store last Friday when she succumbed to a nagging feeling that she needed to board a flight to Queensland to watch the veteran gelding contest the $250,000 Ipswich Cup. She had dreamt of the horse charging down the straight at Ipswich the night before and her gut instincts were screaming 'you have to be there to watch this race'. So the 73-year-old Fulton decided to embark on a spur-of-the-moment 3000km journey from the Top End to southeast Queensland. She rang her travel agent at 10am on Friday, just over 29 hours before the 2150m Listed race was due to jump, and booked the red-eye flight to Brisbane, arriving at 5:30am on Saturday. She then caught a bus to Gatton, where her sister Judy Schloss lives on a farm, before heading to Ipswich for the city's gala cup day. It turns out her instincts were spot-on as $31 roughie Flash Aah flew down the outside to cause a monumental upset in the Ipswich Cup and break a 1000-day winless drought. That's when the tears started to flow for Fulton, who is part of an ownership syndicate that includes her brother Terry, sister-in-law Narelle and Toowoomba trainer Troy Pascoe and his mum Sue. There were tears of joy too, given that Fulton had bet $50 each way on Flash Aah at the juicy price of $40. • 'He's found his home': Flash Aah springs monumental Ipswich Cup upset 'I was sitting in my jewellery shop on Friday morning and it just clicked that I needed to be down here (in southeast Queensland),' she said as her voice cracked with emotion. 'I had a dream on Thursday night. Flash was in the race running, and then I woke up. 'You get to the stage where life is so short that you just have to seize the moment. 'I could've stayed up in Darwin and watched it on the big screen with a few friends but it wouldn't have been the same.' Flash Aah, the son of Lucas Cranach, has been on a remarkable journey himself, culminating in his stakes win last Saturday, his fifth race under Ipswich-born trainer Pascoe. He started his racing career in November 2018 and has been through eight different stables, winning eight of 47 races and collecting $683,000 in prizemoney along the way. His last victory came in April 2022 when the rising 10-year-old won a Benchmark 100 race (1400m) under the guidance of Victorian trainers Natalie Young and Trent Busuttin. @IpswichTurfClub — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 21, 2025 'His best trainer is Troy, who's brought him back a treat,' Fulton said. 'We were just so happy that Troy could puff his chest out and say 'I've got a winner'. 'It was just magic. It's been a marvellous journey with Flash and hopefully it hasn't finished yet. 'This is the highlight of my year. I don't think I'll experience a moment like that again but having said that, you never know what Troy has up his sleeve for Flash. 'Flash turns 10 in August so we don't want to overcommit him. He'll let us know when he's ready to retire.' "I never lost faith in him" Dedication has paid off for Troy Pascoe after Flash Aah won the TAB Ipswich Cup at double-figure odds! @IpswichTurfClub @RaceQLD — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 21, 2025 • The emotions were still running at fever-pitch for Fulton when she boarded a flight back to Darwin on Sunday night. 'I've got to compose myself,' she said before continuing. 'The race panned out beautifully for us and when he started to come down the outside, me and Narelle knew he was going to win. 'That's paid for his feed for the next 12 months. The emotions were very high. 'My sister and I sat down at the Ipswich race club that night and we had a few drinks. I knocked off half a bottle of wine on my own! It was an amazing day.' @IpswichTurfClub @RaceQLD — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 21, 2025 Pascoe said on Monday that Flash Aah would likely run next in the $300,000 Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) at the Sunshine Coast on July 5. 'Pat asked me if he can run his final race in the Darwin Cup next year so I might just do that,' he said with a laugh.
West Australian
21-06-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Veteran galloper lining up for his eighth trainer wins Ipswich Cup at 48th start
Flash Aah's Ipswich Cup (2150m) victory is a story of the quintessential Aussie battler hitting the big-time, clinching the trophy at his 48th race start. Beginning his career with a Townsville maiden victory in 2018, the enduring veteran was lining up for his eighth trainer and his victories stretched from as far north as Cairns to as deep down as Cranbourne. The $31 TABtouch outsider found himself in the back half of the field as Akrotiri ($7) worked hard to hold the front with several runners keen to lead. Switched off mid-stages, Flash Aah found himself amongst horses and with only four behind at the 600m while Felix The Scat ($14) hooked around him and made a surging move. With rider Ron Stewart getting animated, Flash Aah tried to cover the run of Felix The Scat but with a sweeping bid, Mark Du Plessis sent Felix The Scat clear rounding the turn. Balancing up in the straight, Troy Pascoe's rising 10-year-old continued to chip away at the margin and as the leader began to finally flag from the long run, Flash Aah ate into the margin. In the final 100m, the son of Lucas Cranach gathered up the gutsy Felix The Scat and hit the lead with 20m remaining to win by a neck. In triumph, he snapped a 1000-day winning drought with his previous victory at Bendigo in April 2022 when trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young. 'I wasn't counting, I knew that every day was closer to his next win,' his trainer Pascoe said. 'He's been all over Australia but he's in the right hands now. 'He's found his home. He loves life with us and we love him. 'He's like a big dog, like a big pet. He follows you around and he's just so relaxed. 'You get him out and he's looking at the butterflies and the rainbows. 'He just doesn't give a sh*t. He's a beautiful animal.' Despite the longshot status, Pascoe's optimism didn't wane. 'I never lost faith in him. I kept saying that this was the race I wanted to get him in. I absolutely thought he could win it,' he said. 'I was blown away at the price, I couldn't believe it. 'My staff have done an amazing job. He ran third in this race four years ago and to come back as a nine, rising 10-year-old, they should take a bow.'
News.com.au
21-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Flash Aah lands upset victory in the Ipswich Cup to end a 1000-day winning drought
Toowoomba trainer Troy Pascoe declared well-travelled gelding Flash Aah had 'found his home' after the $31 roughie pulled off a shock victory in the $250,000 Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m) on Saturday. The near 10-year-old has been through a total of eight different trainers over a journey of 48 races for nine wins at racetracks as far north as Cairns to Cranbourne in Victoria. Flash Aah began his career as a sprinter in November 2018 before gradually stepping up in distance, being shifted through various trainers before finally landing at Pascoe's stables at the end of 2023. He broke a 1000-day winning drought in the Ipswich Cup, with his previous triumph coming at Bendigo in April 2022 when trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young. 'I wasn't counting, I knew that every day was closer to his next win,' Pascoe said. 'He's been all over Australia but he's in the right hands now. 'He's found his home. He loves life with us and we love him. 'He's like a big dog, like a big pet. He follows you around and he's just so relaxed. 'You get him out and he's looking at the butterflies and the rainbows. 'He just doesn't give a sh**. He's a beautiful animal.' The Tony Gollan-trained Felix The Scat ($14) looked to have the race sewn up before Flash Aah made a late charge to steal victory, with Raf Attack ($10) in third. Flash Aah was steered by veteran jockey Ron Stewart, who for a time worked in his family's butcher shop after returning to Australia from a successful riding stint in Singapore. 'He's been terribly unlucky,' Pascoe said about Flash Aah. 'Every start they've just walked and made it impossible for him to run home. 'I never lost faith in him. I kept saying that this was the race I wanted to get him in. I absolutely thought he could win it. âš¡ï¸� Flash Aah lives up to his name and flashes home to take the TAB Ipswich Cup! ðŸ�† @IpswichTurfClub — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 21, 2025 'I was blown away at the price, I couldn't believe it. 'My staff have done an amazing job. He ran third in this race four years ago and to come back as a nine, rising 10-year-old, they should take a bow.' Stewart said that from barrier four he followed Diabolo Bolt, ridden by Irish jockey Robbie Dolan, in the run. 'In all fairness to Robbie, he got held up around the corner,' Stewart said. 'It really unfolded nicely for us. He had plenty of room and just kept building in his gears. 'I thought I was going to get there comfortably but he had a look around but he got the job done. 'It was a really good training performance. The horse had time off, there is a story behind it and it is nice to get on him.'
Herald Sun
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
2025 Gai Waterhouse Classic: Gerringong for John Singleton
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. The party-style atmosphere on Ipswich Cup day may not be the ideal sweet spot for a 'delicate' filly but it is where John Singleton's youngster Gerringong can make a spring carnival statement. Larrikin owner Singleton has slashed his racing interests in recent years but thought enough of Gerringong to keep her to race, in partnership with some rugby league greats including Mick Cronin, Bob O'Reilly and Peter Wynn. The three-year-old filly is favourite for the Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic (1200m) as Waterhouse tries to win the race named after her for the second time in six years. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Gerringong has won two of her five career starts and what stands out on stalks is her effort in the $3m Sunlight 3YO slot race on the Sunshine Coast in January. She finished only 4½ lengths off subsequent Group 1 winner Private Harry, with 2024 Golden Slipper champ Lady of Camelot the runner-up that night. 'The first and second horses in that race were two proper Group 1 horses and she wasn't too far off them, having a luckless run,' co-trainer Adrian Bott said. • Lipp out to fulfil $40m Lotto winner's spring carnival dream 'She was only having her third race start and also probably coming to the back end of her preparation. 'She did a remarkable job in that one campaign and she has shown improvement this time in. 'She is quite a delicate sort of horse but she has got plenty of natural talent. 'As she keeps getting deeper into her career and matures and becomes seasoned, hopefully we can see a nice progressive filly. 'She was showing promise in her early days so Singo was more than happy to hold onto her and some of the other partners (owners) he put into the horse were keen to race her as well.' Gerringong will have plenty of admirers in Saturday's Gai Waterhouse Classic. Picture: Bradley Photos • Warnie can honour cricket legend with consolation victory Gerringong has had two starts this campaign for two runner-up finishes, in the Listed Denise's Joy Stakes at Scone and the Listed Queensland Day Stakes at Eagle Farm. At Eagle Farm, she got well back and rattled to the line. From a wide barrier around the tricky Ipswich track, Bott is hoping the filly can be closer in the run and show she can be a spring carnival player. 'We should be able to give her a nice freshen up after this and find something in the spring for her,' Bott said. • EXPERT TIPS: Graeme Carey's best bets, quaddie picks and race-by-race analysis for Ipswich on Saturday 'Last start, she was a bit slow into stride when I thought she might have been a bit more forward in the run. 'She does have tactical speed, so she may have an opportunity to be a bit more forward at Ipswich to try to offset the barrier. 'This race used to be raced over 1350m and I wouldn't have minded if it still was. 'I think we could stretch this filly to 1400m-1600m going forward, but she will still be good at 1200(m) at this point.' Adrian Bott. Picture: Getty Images • Uncommon James on spring mission after passing 'make or break' prep Sydney jockey Regan Bayliss will have the job of working some magic with Gerringong from the wide barrier. Bayliss has a strong book of rides on Ipswich Cup day including Osmose for Waterhouse and Bott in the Ipswich Cup and Eye Liner Stakes favourite Warnie for Ciaron Maher. Originally published as John Singleton's 'delicate' filly Gerringong to rock Ipswich as Gai Waterhouse bids to win her own race
