The Caulfield Cup 2024 looks the ideal spring target for Annabel Neasham’s lightly-raced stayer Fawkner Park who was huge bolting home by four lengths as the favourite in Saturday’s 2024 The Q22 results in Brisbane.
Fawkner Park (pictured in Sydney) was huge bolting home in the 2024 The Q22 by over four lengths. Photo: Steve Hart.
Neasham secured her third win in the Group 2 $1.2 million The Q22 (2200m) in four years with Fawkner Park far too good for his rivals in the weight-for-age winter showdown at Eagle Farm.
“I particularly love this horse now,” Neasham told Sky Thoroughbred Central post-win.
“He’s beat a pretty good field. It was a pretty impressive win.”
Tyler Schiller continued associations with the Irish-bred son of Zoffany who took his record to eight wins from 17 starts on Stradbroke Handicap Day.
“He’s a really lightly-raced horse,” Neasham added.
“He’s a very exciting horse and we seem to have found the key with him with the right jockey.
“He (Schiller) just rides him perfectly.”
Last time out the galloper was luckless when narrowly beaten running third to stablemate Bois D’Argent in the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m).
That proved the form race to follow into The Q22 with Fawkner Park ($4.20F) saluting by the big margin while Bois D’Argent ($15) rounded out the trifecta in third.
Sandwiched between the two Neasham place-getters in a distant second was Knight’s Choice ($91) at a blowout price, while 2019 Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare ($18) continued to show a zest for racing running fourth.
Schiller timed his run to perfection in The Q22 sitting just off the pace mid-field before coming with his run on the straight.
Fawkner Park hit the lead 300m out from the line and it was all the punters’ pick over the final furlong with Schiller having an easy go of it the closing stages.
Neasham was quick to name the Group 1 $5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 19th as the key spring assignment for Fawkner Park.
“He’s got a big heart. He’s got a good stride,” she said of the progressive stayer.
“I think we should have a big spring to look forward to.
“Certainly the Caulfield Cup might be a really nice for him.”
She was also full of early confidence the rising six-year-old would see out the two miles of the iconic Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) run at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November.
Fawkner Park is one of the $17 equal favourites in the pre-nomination 2024 Caulfield Cup betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au – available by clicking here.
He pays $34 in all-in 2024 Melbourne Cup betting.
2024 The Q22 Results & Finishing Order
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | FAWKNER PARK (IRE) | Annabel Neasham | Tyler Schiller | 3 | 59kg | $4.20F | |||
| 2 | 17 | KNIGHT’S CHOICE | John Symons & Sheila Laxon | Robbie Dolan | 3.87L | 9 | 59kg | $91 | ||
| 3 | 4 | BOIS D’ARGENT (GB) | Annabel Neasham | Blake Shinn | 5.3L | 4 | 59kg | $15 | ||
| 4 | 8 | VOW AND DECLARE | Danny O’Brien | Billy Egan | 5.59L | 2 | 59kg | $18 | ||
| 5 | 5 | KOVALICA (NZ) | Chris Waller | James Orman | 5.86L | 12 | 59kg | $8.50 | ||
| 6 | 9 | YOUNG WERTHER (NZ) | Danny O’Brien | Michael Dee | 6.15L | 14 | 59kg | $41 | ||
| 7 | 10 | SPIRIT RIDGE (GB) | Annabel Neasham | Ryan Maloney | 6.33L | 16 | 59kg | $26 | ||
| 8 | 18 | AMOKURA | Kris Lees | Mark Zahra | 6.96L | 18 | 57kg | $14 | ||
| 9 | 1 | NUMERIAN (IRE) | Annabel Neasham | Jamie Mott | 7.77L | 10 | 59kg | $26 | ||
| 10 | 6 | ADELAIDE RIVER (IRE) | Kris Lees | James McDonald | 8.27L | 6 | 59kg | $5.50 | ||
| 11 | 3 | LIGHT INFANTRY MAN (FR) | Ciaron Maher | Craig Williams | 8.3L | 5 | 59kg | $7 | ||
| 12 | 13 | HEZASHOCKA (NZ) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Chad Schofield | 8.61L | 1 | 59kg | $15 | ||
| 13 | 11 | EL BODEGON (IRE) | Chris Waller | Jason Collett | 8.71L | 13 | 59kg | $201 | ||
| 14 | 14 | NAVAL COLLEGE (GB) | Annabel Neasham | Tom Sherry | 9.36L | 7 | 59kg | $21 | ||
| 15 | 2 | HUETOR (FR) | Peter & Paul Snowden | Tommy Berry | 9.95L | 17 | 59kg | $18 | ||
| 16 | 16 | CONVERGE | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 11.48L | 8 | 59kg | $31 | ||
| 17 | 7 | LE DON DE VIE (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Vlad Duric | 13.23L | 15 | 59kg | $151 | ||
| 18 | 12 | CLEVELAND (IRE) | Kris Lees | Dylan Gibbons (a) | 17.2L | 11 | 59kg | $10 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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