Chester pays big tribute to Pointon | Rockhampton Horses | Horse Riding, Horseback in Rockhampton
Chester pays big tribute to Pointon
MAGIC Millions boss David Chester paid Gracemere horseman John Pointon a mighty compliment when chatting to me over the phone this week.
Pointon prepared a draft of about 10 horses for the recent Magic Millions in Training Sale (Breeze Up Sale) held at the Gold Coast.
The two-year-olds purchased at earlier Magic Millions yearling sales this year sold for an aggregate of just over $150,000 for which Pointon was well pleased.
The Gracemere draft was among an original catalogue of 425 youngsters which attracted keen interest from overseas clients from Asian countries.
“John Pointon’s horses were prepared exceptionally well and they were right up there with the very best presented horses. John did a wonderful job and his horses caught the eye of overseas buyers. They looked an absolute credit to him,” Chester said.
Pointon is very gifted with young horses and has a fine reputation as one of the best in the business as an educator not only of yearlings, but also problem horses.
“I’m already preparing for the Magic Million QTIS 600 Yearling Sale next March. There is a lot of work in preparing these youngsters for the October sale but the rewards are there if all goes to plan,” Pointon said.
It has been a huge week for MM as they sold Group 1 winners Shocking and All American as well as Thursday’s Straight Six Flemington winner Burdekin Blues who only fetched $32,000 at the 2007 Gold Coast Sale.
Keep looking for the announcement of my regular MM QTIS 600 Sale tour to the Gold Coast on March 21, 22 and 23 next year as it is going to be very special.
Speaking of yearling sales, Ross Shannon of the Central Queensland Breeders Association reports all is going well for the Capricorn Yearling Sale at the Rockhampton Showground’s on April 11 next year.
“It is going to be an all QTIS Sale so buyers can pay up and gain eligibility in the QTIS 600 bonus scheme should they wish,” Shannon said.
Ross said entries for the sale were very pleasing and already a top line-up of some of Queensland’s leading stallions had yearlings entered for sale.
At Yeppoon races on October 27, owners Ron and Bev White won a Capricorn Yearling Sale’s $1500 buyer’s voucher through the win of the brilliant Magic Millions sold Mundi Gully.
The Capricorn Yearling Sale has a firmly established record of breeding winners and no doubt next year will be no exception.
It was disappointing to hear that the crowd for last Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup meeting was down about 400 patrons to 1600 at Callaghan Park last Tuesday.
Rockhampton Jockey Club’s Denis Cox is to be congratulated on his transparency in releasing the crowd figure, which he admitted was disappointing.
When numbers are negative, I have encountered some race club administrators who are loath to release them considering it negative publicity.
To me that is bumpkin and small-mindedness – if there is a problem, be open about it and acknowledge it – which Cox did.
“I don’t know if there was any one reason for the crowd, but I notice that the corresponding Brisbane crowd was down from 17,000 to about 14,000. St Peter’s meeting was huge on Caulfied Cup Day, but it caters mainly for the 18 to 35 age group whereas I think the Melbourne Cup crowd is older. Next year I am going to market the Spring Carnival as a whole and employ a different marketing strategy,” Cox said.
I believe the entry fee to Callaghan Park last Tuesday was $15 but that can’t be blamed considering at Mackay it was $20 and a crowd of 4000 people rolled up for the Cup Day races which is the Club’s biggest day of the year.
In all fairness, Callaghan Park resembles a demolition circuit presently with all the track renovations in progress and it certainly doesn’t lend itself to appealing scenery to the eye.
I am sure Cox will go all out next year to bring back the crowds to Callaghan Park on Cup Day and his corporate plans for the day could be a winner.
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