Eagle Farm Wrap-Up - Teddy Bears Picnic Family Raceday

 
EAGLE Farm played host to the Teddy Bears Picnic Family Raceday as the Melbourne Cup carnival came to a close at Flemington on Saturday.

Zaaki rounded out a huge spring for Stradbroke Season competitors when he took out the $2M Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington, while on the local front, his trainer Annabel Neasham enhanced her reputation for launching successful Brisbane raids when Lady Laguna won the opening race.

Neasham continues to enjoy a stellar strike rate when she picks out races in Brisbane to aim her big team at.

Lady Laguna was gifted a good ride off an awkward draw by Ryan Maloney after the well-backed favourite Better Golightly was a late scratching.

Local trainer Danny Bougoure was expected to start the day on a winning note with the heavily backed filly, but she took charge of jockey Michael Cahill and did a lap of Eagle Farm before being restrained.

Stewards wasted little time in scratching her from the race. Bougoure suggested the filly would now head for a short break.

As the day went on, short-priced commodities did the right thing for favourite backers, winning one after another.

The Dougall family celebrated another win with exciting prospect Go Wandji, who was backed in to start a $1.16 favourite at the jump.

Larry Cassidy kept him out of trouble and while the margin may not have been as big as it was at Doomben a fortnight earlier, it was still a commanding win.

Part-owner John Dougall, father of trainer Tom, confirmed the family had fielded several offers to sell Go Wandji, but for now, the horse is going nowhere.

“I didn’t buy him to re-sell him!” John said.

Tony Gollan’s Shamaton and Rob Heathcote’s improving filly Rayjen also won at odds-on quotes.

The favourite theme continued with Ligulate, albeit after he was a big drifter when a number of other runners attracted backing.

Nicci’s Spirit became the fifth favourite on the card to win when she gave Gollan a winning double in narrowly prevailing over Hallowed Girl.

Classy Toowoomba filly Tycoon Evie rounded out a monster day for the number one public elects when she responded to a positive Mark Du Plessis ride to land the final event.

Eagle Farm will now have a break from Saturday racing until December 11, when the Roku Gin Gateway (1400m) will be held. Reports this week suggest local star Apache Chase will be a contestant in that race as he heads to a Magic Millions day tilt.

There is a midweek meeting at Eagle Farm on December 1.

Next Saturday we head back to Doomben, with the Listed Keith Noud Stakes (1200m) to be the first of more than 30 feature races held in Brisbane and the Gold Coast heading towards January.

 

Photo Provided by: Grant Peters, Trackside Photography