Stars align for special win at Tamworth

You could say it was written in the stars – or perhaps it was just meant to be when visiting Victorian harness racing trainer Tim Mortlock cheered home tough little mare Outback Queenie (Fear The Dragon) at Tamworth last Tuesday night (Jan 14).

Outback Queenie was rated to perfection by reinsman Leigh Sutton for an all-the-way win in the $9792 Bevan Douglas Pace at the first of three meetings in a little over a week in conjunction with the 53rd running of the famed Country and Western music festival.

It was a special win for more than one reason for Mortlock, Sutton and Outback Queenie’s connections.

“It was 11 years to the day since we lost dad (Rob) so there may have been some divine intervention. It was also Leigh’s 900th winner, which was great,” the popular Maryborough trainer said.

“Leigh also told me that he got his 100th winner on Compulsory Gee at Albury about 20 years ago and it was raced by dad and me. I said that when he was sitting on 999 winners, he should let me know and I’ll set one up for him for the 1000 milestone!”

Outback Queenie, which had been performing nicely in Victoria, had to pull out all stops over the last 400 metres.  She was challenged hard by death-seater A Million Promises, and then Pet Kitty, given a perfect trip in the one-one by young Layne Dwyer. The official margins were a head, by a half-neck.

“Leigh pulled the earplugs with 300 metres to go and she really flattened out down the home straight. After the early burn of 28.9, they got an easy quarter of 33.5, but the last half was solid in 57.3,” Mortlock said.

“She certainly gave her best and that was the ideal start to our short campaign.”

Mortlock makes what’s become an annual pilgrimage to Tamworth at Festival time with his partner Julie Wall, his mum Helen, his sister Hannah and two nieces Evie and Josie.

Outback Queenie will now tackle the qualifying heats for the $50,000 Golden Guitar tonight (Jan 17), where only the first two placegetters will be automatic qualifiers for the final on January 24.  He hopes to also have her two travelling stablemates Double The Hunter and Summerhill competing that night.

“Queenie’s going to have her work cut out, but there’s no pressure because she’s done her job,” Mortlock said.

“I put her out in the paddock the day after her win and she was really bright, and I gave her a jog today and she’s pulled up great. She was back to her normal self, so you never know.

“We celebrated the win with a few cool beverages, and we belted out a few tunes!  We pulled up a bit dusty, but we’re all enjoying ourselves and Evie and Josie were rapt to get pick-up drives in the pony trots,” he said.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink