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QUEENSLAND Racing’s chief handicapper, Lester
Grimmett, has defended his decision to penalise Saturday’s
BTC Sprint winner, True Glo, 1.5kg for the AAMI Stradbroke.
“He had to get a penalty. Similar penalties
for winning that type of race have been applied in
the past,” Mr Grimmett said.
“I have to assess the horse on how he is currently
racing. He had 59kg on Saturday and had won a race
at Moonee Valley after weights for the Stradbroke
were released with 60.5kg (after a claim for Nicholas
Ryan).
The fact that Tru Glo will now carry 55kg in the
$1 million Stradbroke at Eagle Farm on June 12 has
been described as ‘totally unjustifiable’ by
his trainer Lee Freedman.
Bookmakers betting on the Stradbroke did not share
the sentiments of Freedman and have elevated Tru
Glo to prepost favouritism. They also reacted to
the news that Doomben 10,000 winner, Super Elegant,
will not run.
Champion jockey Darren Beadman gave Tru Glo the
run of the race in the Darley BTC Sprint when he
overhauled Falkirk to win by a long head with Sydneysider
Patezza a fast finishing third.
Freedman believes True Glo is the ideal type for
a Stradbroke. “He has been racing in career-best
form and has been winning with big weights. He is
the right horse for the Stradbroke because you need
a horse who can run a solid mile.”
Trainer Paul O’Sullivan will back Falkirk
up in Saturday’s $200,000 QTC Cup hoping to
secure ballot-free entry into the Stradbroke. “It
was a big improvement but he gets onto the wrong
leg this way of going.”
QUEENSLAND Racing carnival news: John Lingard – May
31.
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True
Glo (Darren Beadman) overhauls the
Kiwi Falkirk
(Scott Galloway) to win the
BTC Sprint at NCF
Doomben on Saturday.
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Connections
of Tru Glo, including former
Queenslander Bruce
Clark at left, at the
presentation after the
BTC Sprint.
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(Noel Pascoe photos)
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