Latest news with #Stradbroke
ABC News
28-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Circular economy of a new age of old stuff flourishes as Australians scrimp and save
A few minutes walking the aisles of an opportunity shop are enough for a shopper to ponder how utilitarian and disposable Australia's society has become. The artefacts of a passing generation go begging for sale. At any op shop around Australia brooches, stoles, clutch purses and gloves, as well as floral teacups, doilies and crystal vases come together in a cluttered shrine of sorts to a generation that survived two world wars. The Depression-era salvage mentality of keeping the good stuff for a special occasion was drummed into the post-war generation. But by the late 1960s cheap imports, mass manufacturing, plastics and technology would pave the way for a more casual, comfort and convenience-driven Australian lifestyle. Modern families thought nothing of disposing of unwanted items and replacing them with something new. Stradbroke-based recycler Nathan Bruce has made it his life's mission to reduce waste wherever possible, clearing unwanted items from deceased estates, downsizers, garage sales and hoarders. "I recycle everything. When it comes to deceased estates I do whole properties, so I will recycle a broken brick, a rusty tin, even putting a piece of paper into a cardboard bin to reduce the waste however I can," he said. "It's mainly older people who are downsizing and don't have the ability to do it themselves, or the family is not willing to help. That's where I come in." In building his Aladdin's cave crammed with antiques, records, DVDs, Tupperware, electric goods and bric-a-brac, Mr Bruce has come across everything from rats to 200-year-old coins in his hunt for treasure. Hazardous items like mouldy books and chipped ceramics must be thrown out, and not all plastics can be recycled. But the licensed second-hand dealer is determined to upcycle and sell the unsellable at his shopfront in Sale. Broken appliances are pulled apart for their wood, motors, copper and wires. "Silver is not worth much, about $1 a gram. Depending on the gold value a broken ring can get up to $30 to $40 a gram from some jewellers as scrap gold," Mr Bruce said, "Copper is about $10 to $11 a kilo so it all builds up if you have hundreds of pieces together. They're worth something." Mr Bruce said it was younger generations who were driving the second-hand and recycling movement as they dealt with their concerns for the environment and rising cost-of-living. At Morwell in the Latrobe Valley, vacant shops line the main street against a backdrop of a bustling op shop trade. William Smith is the warehouse coordinator at the Lifeline Gippsland thrift store and said women's clothing was always their biggest seller. "We never get enough men's clothing donated and that's because men generally wear their stuff until it dies. Then it gets thrown out," he said. "Whereas women tend to change their clothes regularly." Mr Smith said op shops had become the department stores of choice for the working poor and cash-strapped middle-class. "Shein, Anko, Temu, they're very much fast fashion where you wear it once and it's ruined," he said. "If you're going into an op shop you've got that potential of finding a quality item at a bargain price. "We don't want junk. Basically the best thing to think about when you're donating is, 'Would you buy it from or sell it to a family member?'" Mr Smith said old towels and blankets were often purchased by animal shelters, dog kennels and catteries, or cut up to be used as rags. "We have a secondary process where any old towels, windcheaters and T-shirts that we can't sell we repurpose into rags and we sell them in 10-kilogram bags to the industrial sector," he said. He said donations of crockery and bric-a-brac were always welcomed. "We sort it and we sell what we can, and what we can't we sell to an exporter, who then sells it on the second-hand market in developing countries overseas," Mr Smith said. "That way we can still raise money for our cause, which is the crisis line for Lifeline, and it doesn't end up in landfill." East Gippsland Shire Council waste minimisation officer Carina Turner said tremendous inroads had been made to improve sustainability and de-stigmatise hand-me-downs. "Repair cafes, tool libraries, general libraries and toy libraries are all part of a circular economy," she said. Ms Turner noted the success of initiatives like the container deposit scheme, which has been embraced by community groups for fundraising. "There's still an awful lot going in to landfill so we haven't yet solved the problem by any stretch of the imagination. But we are keeping more and more items out of landfill," she said. Ms Turner said new technologies had allowed for mattress springs to be recycled into fencing and polystyrene packaging to be turned into bricks. "More and more customers are expecting that the company that they choose to buy from will have sustainability as part of their business models," she said.
New Paper
27-06-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Tiara is a great fit for Tashi
The guesswork in spotting the last Australian Group 1 winner of 2024-2025 has been made just a little harder by one missing piece. None of the 17 runners to the A$700,000 (S$583,000) Tattersall's Tiara (1,400m) at Eagle Farm on June 28 (1.58pm Singapore time) is coming out of the Stradbroke Handicap. Queensland's premier Group 1 1,400m event, which was won by War Machine on June 14, has delivered the Tiara winners of the last four editions - Tofane (2021), Startantes (2022), Palaisipan (2023) and Bella Nipotina (2024). Since the fillies and mares contest earned Group 1 status in 2007, eight winners have borne the Stradbroke formline in their lead-up, with Srikandi (2015) and Tofane doing the Stradbroke-Tiara double, a feat achieved by only Dane Ripper in the pre-Group 1 Tiara era in 1997. Interestingly, the eventual 1997 Cox Plate winner is, in name, providing the perfect fall-back option to a Tiara renewal bereft of Stradbroke form this year. The Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes (1,300m), which is held on Stradbroke day, is without a doubt the next best traditional prelude. No fewer than 10 of the 14 Dane Ripper runners in 2025 will contest the Tiara, including the first three home, Floozie, Tashi and Firestorm - who, unsurprisingly, head the market. If anything, the statistics around the Dane Ripper Stakes as a Tiara crystal ball are almost as compelling as the Stradbroke. For the nine Group 1 Tiara winners who did not come through the Stradbroke, seven rounded out their preparations in the Dane Ripper, with Red Tracer (2013), Cosmic Endeavour (2014) and Invincibella (2019) the three to have completed the double that Floozie is chasing. Undefeated in four runs this campaign, Tony Gollan's mare by Zoustar is a deserved favourite at 3-1, almost sharing that tag with Firestorm, on whom James McDonald is bidding to equal Malcolm Johnston's 45-year-old record of 16 Group 1 wins in one season. But, perhaps, the one anomaly to that market is Tashi's odds of 6-1. In the Dane Ripper Stakes, the Peter Snowden-trained mare did not see clean air as early as the winner Floozie, but still took a huge chunk of ground off her to miss out by only half-a-length. The one-pound swing in Floozie's favour is too marginal to account for the quote discrepancy. For that reason, Tashi represents much better value, especially if he finds daylight earlier. Knockers may argue that the Sebring five-year-old does not scream Group 1 material, but then again, neither do most of her 16 rivals. As a benchmark, the only Group 1 winner, 2024 South Australian Derby (2,500m) winner Coco Sun is first-up after a disappointing Spring campaign, and over a trip not made to suit. Firestorm and Semana are the only two Group-placed contenders, and also hail from the powerhouse yards of Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher respectively. Firestorm ran second to stablemate and glamour filly Lady Shenandoah in the 2025 Coolmore Classic (1,500m), while Semana's three Group 1 placings notably include her second to Bella Nipotina for a Maher 1-2 in last year's Tiara. Bella Nipotina, who was recently retired, was the last of seven favourites since 2007 to win the Tiara. It has, however, also hatched nine double-figure winners in 20-1 shots Russeting (2009), Miss Cover Girl (2016) and Tycoon Tara (2017), incidentally Snowden's only Tiara winner. A win by Tashi would not be as jaw-dropping, but would vault Darley's (Godolphin's old name in Australia) former head trainer back into the limelight and give his Irish jockey Tom Sherry a much-deserved first Group 1 silverware. manyan@
Herald Sun
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Craig Williams cops suspension on Stradbroke Handicap pick-up ride
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Craig Williams' late Group 1 pick-up ride on Rothfire has resulted in the champion Victorian jockey being suspended for 14 days. Williams had been set to ride Gary Portelli's mare Kimochi in the Stradbroke Handicap until the Yulong-owned mare injured her tendon on Friday. • 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! He was then without a Stradbroke ride but gained one when James McDonald, who has been battling illness, was unable to make the weight on Rothfire. However, the story had a sting in its tail with Williams suspended for careless riding for a back straight incident where Spicy Martini was tightened up. He will commence his suspension after next Saturday's Ipswich Cup meeting. • 'The boys have done it': Hayes proud of sons' landmark Stradbroke success Meanwhile, Group 1 JJ Atkins winning jockey Martin Harley was fined $500 by stewards for celebrating before the line on Cool Archie. Cejay Graham also came to the attention of stewards and was suspended for 14 days for careless riding on King Kapa in the Hinkler Handicap. Originally published as Craig Williams cops suspension on Stradbroke Handicap pick-up ride
Herald Sun
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Yellow Brick goes agonisingly close to fairytale upset in Stradbroke Handicap
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Queensland hero Yellow Brick almost pulled one of the great fairytale upsets in recent Stradbroke Handicap history but the $41 roughie was narrowly outgunned by favourite War Machine in the $3m race at Eagle Farm on Saturday. It was a bittersweet moment for father-and-daughter trainers Tony and Maddy Sears, who were proud of Yellow Brick's incredible effort but the moment was tinged with some sadness given they came so close to jagging the $1.8m winner's cheque. But they will settle for $540,000 in prizemoney as the runner-up in Queensland's premier race run on a good track on a sunny day in Brisbane. Racenet iQ members get full access to our Pro Tips service, where Greg and our team of professional punters provide daily tips with fully transparent return on investment statistics. SUBSCRIBE NOW and start punting like a pro! The Straddie is 1400m but if it was run over 1500m on Saturday, the Sears would be popping the champagne corks because Yellow Brick, with Andrew Mallyon on board, was starting to wear down War Machine ($2.65) approaching the winning post. Tony Sears said he was incredibly proud of Maddy, who had been training Yellow Brick at the pair's Gold Coast stables before he joined his daughter on the Glitter Strip just two weeks ago. • 'The boys have done it': Hayes proud of sons' landmark Stradbroke success 'I'm more proud of Maddysen than the horse,' he said. 'She's done a great job getting him ready. 'I've only been down the Gold Coast for two weeks. She's defied all the odds. People think he wasn't going very well but we knew he was going well. 'I backed him. We honestly thought he could win. He's just got to be ridden quiet like that. 'It was unbelievable, she's done a great job with him.' Maddy Sears said after the race she was 'speechless'. 'He was tremendous,' she said about Yellow Brick, who last won in a $160,000 Listed race over 1400m at Eagle Farm in October. 'That was the favourite (War Machine) in the race and he gave him a fair headstart at the top of the straight. 'He was the widest runner and he had to do things the hard way but I couldn't be any prouder.' This week Maddy Sears compared five-year-old gelding Yellow Brick to a Labrador Retriever because he 'loves to be the centre of attention'. And although the spoils of victory went to War Machine and Lindsay Park, Yellow Brick sure grabbed his share of attention. • What the jockeys said: 2025 Stradbroke Handicap Meanwhile, champion jockey Craig Williams said another Queensland hero, old warrior Rothfire, was 'gallant' in finishing seventh for trainer Rob Heathcote, who would have preferred a softer track. The seven-year-old Rothfire had battled a hoof injury for the past 10 days after suffering an untimely stone bruise and was lucky to even make the prestigious race. 'From the outside barrier draw he gave me a beautiful ride from there,' Williams said about the 2020 JJ Atkins champion. 'I got on the back of the eventual winner. He travelled so well but the winner was too good for us late. 'He just got a bit tired today and as Rob Heathcote said, he didn't have the ideal preparation.' Originally published as Yellow Brick goes agonisingly close to fairytale upset in Stradbroke Handicap
The Australian
14-06-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Pier dominates in Wayne Wilson to highlight Stradbroke Handicap missed opportunity
Exciting Kiwi galloper Pier was stranded two spots outside the Group 1 Stradbroke field, but his trainer Darryn Weatherley felt he could have given the race a mighty shake. And on the evidence of the gelding's thumping win when scoring the consolation prize of the Listed Wayne Wilson (1600m) at Eagle Farm, it was hard to disagree. Had five-year-old Pier nailed a Stradbroke start, he would have carried just 51kg. Racenet iQ members get full access to our Pro Tips service, where Greg and our team of professional punters provide daily tips with fully transparent return on investment statistics. SUBSCRIBE NOW and start punting like a pro! Pier's hopes of gaining a slot in the Stradbroke always appeared forlorn, fourth emergency and still two off the field even after there were a pair of scratchings. But punters didn't miss him in the Wayne Wilson, backing him strongly from $3.10 to $2.60 and he didn't let them down as he thumped his opposition by three lengths. Pier's racing journey hasn't been straightforward, from the exhilarating moment of winning the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas in 2022, to devastating lows of many injury setbacks. Leading Australian owner Ozzie Kheir looks to have another nice horse on his hands. 'I truly believe he would have been a force to be reckoned with in the Straddie, but maybe next year,' Weatherley, who trains in partnership with his daughter Briar, said. 'I would like to spell him here for a month then have a crack at the first Group 1 in New Zealand and the hopefully to Melbourne in the spring.' Pier had warmed up for Saturday's assignment with a flashing light run in the Group 3 BRC Sprint when flashing home from last to finish third. 'Last start he ran a blinder, but he drew a lot more favourably today,' jockey Ethan Brown said. 'It is a bloody long straight but I was on a well prepared, fit horse who carried me through.' In the opening race on Stradbroke day, the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic (1600m), Michael Freedman's three-year-old filly Just Feelin' Lucky ($5) led them a merry dance. The young daughter of US champion Justify wasn't for catching and justified Freedman's decision to give her a shot at a valuable Group race. The filly cost just $80,000 as a yearling but is now worth much more than that and put two wins on the bounce after scoring a midweek race in Sydney at her previous start. 'These Justifys are free-rolling and I had a good chat to Tommy Berry before the race and the idea was to dictate the race from the front and it ended up perfect,' Freedman said. 'It is getting to the back end of the racing season, she's going to turn four pretty soon, so we thought we'd go and have a crack at some black type. 'She's quite a valuable filly now.' ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Floozie lives up to Gollan's wraps Tony Gollan might be turning into Nostradamus as he had a Group 1 prophecy with exciting mare Floozie which is now another step closer to being fulfilled. Queensland's champion trainer has this winter carnival been telling anyone who will listen that Floozie is a star. After her stylish win in the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes (1300m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday, she will now be deployed in the Group 1 Tatt's Tiara in a fortnight. Floozie, a four-year-old daughter of Zoustar, was formerly trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr in Victoria and now hasn't been beaten in four starts since arriving at Gollan's Eagle Farm stables. She won some modest Benchmark races at the start of her campaign, but wins in the Silk Stocking and now the Dane Ripper have showcased the talent that Gollan always knew she had. The Group 2 triumph was also the biggest win of young jockey Angela Jones' career and she rode the mare a treat. Gollan is now heading overseas to Royal Ascot, but will have a tantalising treat to come back to as he unleashes Floozie in the Group 1 Tatt's Tiara for fillies and mares at Eagle Farm in a fortnight. 'She is a really good mare this,' Gollan said. 'I said when she won a Benchmark 70 four starts ago that this mare would take part in the winter carnival. 'That's exactly what she is doing. 'Onwards to the Tiara in a fortnight now and I can't wait. 'This mare is going to give that race a hell of a shake and when mares are in form, they can do anything. 'She won on a heavy track on the Gold Coast the other day and it was a firm track here today so she goes good on all surfaces.' Floozie was strongly backed from $6 to $4.60 in the Dane Ripper and her backers barely raised a sweat with Jones having her perfectly positioned before she zoomed for home. 'It is just incredible for this mare to string four together at a tough time of the carnival,' Jones said. 'She is just brilliant. She is a jockey's dream. 'You can just put her where you want her.'
