Sunshine Coast Turf Club

As the 2017/18 Racing Season has now been completed, the Sunshine Coast Turf Club would like to congratulate Trainer - Stuart Kendrick, Jockey - Damian Browne and Apprentice Jockey - Stephanie Lacy for their achievements in winning the annual Caloundra RSL SCTC Premierships.

Stuart Kendrick was a dominant winner in the Trainer’s Premiership finishing over 20 wins clear of his nearest rival and taking out the annual SCTC Trainer’s Premiership for the 5^th consecutive season.

Damian Browne made it eight (8) SCTC Jockey titles in nine (9) years and also won the feature Scott McMahon Electrical Caloundra Cup on Megablast during the year.

Apprentice Jockey, Stephanie Lacy has taken out the Lianne Crook Memorial Shield as the 2017/18 SCTC Apprentice of the Year.  Stephanie is an apprentice to local trainers John Symons and Sheila Laxon and during the season won 23 races at the Sunshine Coast Turf Club.

The concept of The (then) King’s Cup races, and the original conditions for it, were decided upon by the Conference of Delegates from Principal Clubs in Australia, and were approved by His Majesty The King in 1927.

The first race of the Series was run on Saturday 23 April 1927 at Flemington by the Victoria Racing Club in honour of the visit of their Royal Highness, the Duke and Duchess of York.

The race, which was won by Spear Maiden, was worth £1,250 to the winner.  The owners also received a gold cup, which was a gift of His Majesty King George V.

With the exception of the war years of 1940-45 inclusive, the Cup has been run ever since, with the assent of the ruling monarch, and has rotated from State to State.

Since 1952, the race has of course been known as The Queen’s Cup.  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, has again graciously sanctioned the running of The Queen’s Cup in the 2018/19 Racing Season, and has donated a gold cup to the winning owner(s).

Many top class horses have won The Queen’s Cup, including Phar Lap, Rogilla, Macdougal, Book Link, River Seine, Red Handed, Leilani and Natski.

The Queen’s Cup is recognised as a “Group 3” race by the International Cataloguing Standards Committee.

The Group 3 Queen’s Cup conducted Saturday 14th July, is the Queen’s Cup Trophy Quality Handicap over 3200m and carries trophy AU$13,000 and prizemoney AU$150,000.

Talented Seaway is likely to be top trainer Chris Waller's sole runner in the Group Three Sunshine Coast Guineas.

The race holds a special place for Waller with Winx successful in 2015 to begin a streak of wins which now stands at 25, 18 at Group One level.

Waller said he was always keen to have runners in the Guineas and at Caloundra.

"We won't have a big representation at the Sunshine Coast. At this stage Seaway will be our only runner in the Guineas but that could change after I have a talk with my staff," he said.

Seaway ran second to stablemate Sambro in the Group Two Queensland Guineas (1600m) at his last start on June 9.

He has won three races, all at Canterbury in Sydney, but Waller feels Seaway will have no problems with the big Caloundra track.

Stablemate Noire who ran second in the Mumm Stakes at Doomben on Saturday will be spelled.

"I think she is good enough to run in the spring and there doesn't appear much left for her in Queensland at this stage," Waller said.

Waller had a frustrating day at Doomben with Shillelagh also running second in the Group One Tatt's Tiara.

But he did have a winner when Tatcee won a two-year-old maiden at Beaudesert giving the champion trainer his first win at the track.

"With the bonus payments there was $30,000 on the race so it was a good place to start," he said.

Waller now has 46 winners in Queensland this season for $5.9 million prize money which is already a record for a trainer in the state.

Mark Oberhardt - AAP