Cup mover and Shaker
TOUGH stayer Stage Shaker held off great rival Sooth Sayer to win yesterday's Cellarbrations Cairns Cup (2100m) after a memorable duel to the winning post.
The Mackay gallopers thrilled the Cannon Park faithful as they sprinted down the home straight, where topweight Stage Shaker ($6) edged out Sooth Sayer by a head, with House of Woodwind the same distance back in third.
Victorious jockey Robert Thompson, who has ridden more than 3000 winners in his illustrious career, admitted to suffering a few anxious moments in the final stretch of the $40,000 feature race.
"In that last 100m, I looked up at the winning post and it seemed to be running away from me and not getting closer," he said.
"But he (Stage Shaker) toughed it out. I had a good run in the race. They didn’t go very fast and I was up on the speed so I was happy with that.
"After we turned for home, the old guy stuck his neck out and away he sprinted for me."
The winning trainer, Mackay’s Darryl Hansen, said he was confident that once the field turned for home, Stage Shaker would prevail.
"With the run he had, I knew he would fight to the death," he said.
"Since his last run, Shaker has done really well.
"He tripped up really well from Townsville this morning and I was rapt for him.
"We’ve had a lot of support from a lot of people so it was great to repay them with a win.
"Hopefully, he’s got a good few years left in him yet because he is a great old horse."
In the other big race of the day, Terry Crossland-trained Bazzooka ($4) won the $25,000 The Cairns Post Lightning Handicap (960m) by half a length, in front of On Bail. It was the third win on the program for jockey David Crossland.
The talented hoop had earlier guided No More Shares ($3.50) to victory in the East Coast Traffic Control Maiden Plate (960m) and General Weiland ($1.40) home first in the Babinda Electronics QTIS Three-Years-Old Handicap (1250m).
In other results, Whitewater took out the Brow Babes Class 1 Handicap (1600m), Magnum Forty Four ($5) was too good in the FGF Bitumen Class Two Handicap (1250m), while Global Spin ($9) prevailed in the Mt Garnet Amateur Turf Club Class Three Plate (960m).
Share this article
Fending off rivals: Jockey Robert Thompson pilots Stage Shaker to Cairns Cup glory at Cannon Park yesterday. Picture: MIKE WATT
Maher goes into bat for Nash
QUEENSLAND cricket great Jimmy Maher has called on West Indies' selectors to retain fellow FNQ product Brendan Nash for the second Test against Australia in Adelaide.
Northern Pride player kicked man unconscious
A NORTHERN Pride rugby league footballer has been fined and faces club sanctions after a drunken fight in which he kicked a man unconscious then switched clothes with a mate to elude police.
Cairns Taipans players' fears allayed
CAIRNS Taipans' players are confident in the club's position this season despite a leaked Cairns Regional Council report painting a bleak picture of the financial future.
Jawai's Timberwolves notch a win
IT'S taken 14 games but Nathan Jawai has finally notched his first win with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Cairns Taipans' Boody is back
GARY Boodnikoff will be back in Cairns Taipans colours on Wednesday night, revelling in the atmosphere of the NBL's most ferocious derby.
