First time in event history three female jockeys claim 1, 2 & 3 in the TAB Birdsville Cup Race
The thrill of the chase returned to the tiny outback town today as Day Two of the 143rd Birdsville Races thundered down the famous red dirt track in a flurry of dust, colour and sheer outback theatre.
With a picture-perfect backdrop of expansive blue skies melting into the Simpson Desert horizon, thousands of punters packed the trackside rails – many in race day glamour. The jewel in the crown, the $60,000 TAB Birdsville Cup, was run and won in front of a crowd of happy punters, with the event attracting more than 6,500 across two days and record entries across the meet.
The TAB Birdsville Cup race capped a history-making two-day carnival, with the $330,000 prize pool attracting trainers, jockeys and horses from as far afield as Tasmania (the first time in race history), Victoria, the Northern Territory, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and home state Queensland.
A full field of twelve horses ran in the TAB Birdsville Cup with Testator Silens storming home to take top honours ridden by Bailie Baker, who only started racing in June. Owned by a syndicate of proud Queenslanders, Testator Silens owners included long-standing Birdsville book maker Gary Peoples, Diamantina Mayor Francis Murray and State of Origin great Chris ‘Choppy’ Close.
Trainer Clinton Austin (Blackall) had a double with the Cup win followed by a win in the final Fred Brophy Farewell race of the day.
In a history making Birdsville Races first, three female jockeys took out 1, 2 and 3 in the Cup race with Bailie Baker on Testator Silens , Emma Bell on The Driller and Hannah Phillips on Scorched Land.
In another win for the females on track, trainer Toni Schofield took out leading trainer of the carnival and Sarah Robbins had three wins across the carnival, a much-needed boost to moral after a devastating fire claimed her live-in motorhome and $50,000 in riding gear in April this year.
Hot favourite Hettinger along with crowd favourites former Royal Ascot contender Without Revenge trained by the Geran family and ridden by 53-year-old jockey Gary Geran who came out of retirement to ride the horse his wife Kylie and son Corey trained and Fred Brophy’s horse Victory Bay couldn’t catch Testator Silens.
For the first time in the 143-year history of the Birdsville Races, Tasmania was represented, with the Keys brothers – John (Tasmania), Robert (King Island, Tasmania) and Ken (Cranbourne Melbourne via King Island, Tasmania) – hauling their teams more than 3,200km to the edge of the Simpson Desert – walking away with out a win but vowing to return next year.
Fred Brophy, who will step away from the iconic race meet that he has become synonymous with after providing much loved off-track sport and entertainment to thousands of race goers at his Brophy Boxing tent for 43 years.
Fred is retiring his unique brand of travelling tent boxing – the last of its kind in the world – from the Birdsville Races saying the decision was bittersweet but timely as he and wife Sandi began winding back.
“Birdsville was the first major event we committed to, and really helped put us on the map, so it deserves to be the first place we say goodbye,” Brophy said.
In a special tribute to the Outback legend the final 7th race of the day The Fred Brophy Farewell handicap was named in his honour.
After the race and as he looked ahead to the last time he will enter the ring in Birdsville tonight, the 73 year-old said, “I’ve got a tear in my eye. It’s a sad day but it won’t be my last day at the Birdsville Races. Sandi and I will be back next year, and some of my fighters have also said they’ll be back for the social side of the races. This is Australia and if you haven’t been you don’t know what you’re missing. Sandi has kept everything going with our Outback trips, that saying behind every good bloke is a good woman is so true. About ten years into our relationship I tried to convince Sandi to marry me. She told me I either had to give up drinking or win a Birdsville Cup before she’d say yes. So I decided I’d try my hand at winning a Birdville Cup – and I’ve been trying for nearly every year since. I’ll have to come back next year to make an honest woman out of her.”
Friday’s debut $40,000 Akubra Big Red Sprint delivered a a track record time, taken out by Birdsville acing stalwarts the Saunders family and their Jay Morris trained horse Revolt, ridden by champion bush jockey Kody Nestor, before today’s Cup carried the weight of history and prestige.
Birdsville Race Club Vice President Gary Brook said today’s TAB Birdsville Cup delivered in spades.
“It was fantastic to see a horse with local Birdsville connections run home for the win in the big TAB Birdsville Cup race today. The roar from the crowd was incredible – it’s the type of atmosphere that makes the Birdsville Races unlike any other event in Australia.”
While the thoroughbreds shone, the ladies also lit up trackside, with Fashions on the Field unleashing a riot of colour and glamour. Madeline Snell from Mt Isa took out most fashionable lady, with Trenne and Andrew Gillett from Lenix Head taking out best dressed family, Pablo Manot from Spain winning best dressed male and Helene Sinclair from Toowoomba taking out best millenary.
Inside the OBE Organic VIP marquee, more than 250 guests enjoyed trackside hospitality with a menu featuring pepper crusted OBE beef tenderloin au poivre, sage and lemon baked chicken and lemon and almond ricotta cake.
The Birdsville Races again proved their national pull, with every moment of the 13-race program broadcast into homes across the globe via Sky Racing.
The Birdsville Races are proudly supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland, and feature on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar.
