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Meeting In Review – Wednesday 29 January 2025 New
Date: 30-Jan-2025
Metropolitan racing came to Ipswich on Wednesday, and it was fitting that Queensland’s leading metropolitan jockey Jimmy Orman rose to the fore.
The 3x Ipswich Jockey premiership winner claimed two races on the day which included one of the biggest margins of victory we’ve seen in recent times.
Orman teamed up with the Rob Heathcote-trained Ser Joh in the Maiden Plate over 1200m.
The four-year-old gelding attracted the attention of the market following his run in the Magic Millions Maiden and started as a $1.40 favourite.
When the gates opened, Orman wasted no time in driving Ser Joh to the front from the wide gate.
Orman controlled the race before his mount kicked clear at the top of the straight to put a massive 8.05 lengths on his opposition.
It was little more than a training gallop and exactly how you’d like to see an odds-on pop win.
Orman’s second win came aboard Certainlycan in the Class 1 Handicap over 1100m.
Punters rallied around the Tony Gollan-trained mare, and she didn’t let them down.
As he did with Ser Joh, Orman took up the running on the daughter of Written Tycoon.
He stacked and racked the field before giving her one-two with the shillelagh with a furlong to go at which point she burst clear to win by 4.35 lengths.
The win was Gollan’s 15th for the season, but he could have extended his lead in this year’s Ipswich Trainers premiership by more if his horses were able to convert their three runner-up finishes to wins.
While those races were decided early, others went right down to the wire.
None more so than the QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Plate over a mile.
The Scott Morrisey-trained Aratiri enjoyed a comfortable run in front for Georgie Cartwright before getting most of the field off the bit heading into the home run.
Dracena enjoyed a lovely run and loomed as the only danger but despite Mark Du Plessis’ getting every ounce of effort out the Toowoomba galloper, the pair fell agonisingly short by a whisker.
The services of the judge were also required at the end of the 800m Benchmark 70 Handicap.
G1 winning jockeys Sam Collett and Michael Rodd were involved in a fierce battle over the concluding stages but it was Collett who got the head down of the Desleigh Forster-trained He’s Heaven at the right time.
The final race of the day saw yet another close finish with the two market leaders, Great Aspirations and Field Of Myrtle fighting it out.
Both horses enjoyed great runs and it looked like Great Aspirations was going to boot clear and win, but the Matt Dunn-trained Field Of Myrtle was having none of that and charged late to salute by a nose.
Other winners on the day were Hurricane Rosie who broke her maiden status in the opening race and promising galloper Silva ‘N’ Suave who claimed the QTIS Three-Year-Old Benchmark 65 Handicap over 1350m.
Racing returns to Ipswich next Wednesday, February 5.
By Craig Sheppard
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