Scott Scores with Long-Shot Double

A long shot double at Cluden Park yesterday delivered Townsville Cup winning jockey Scott Sheargold a timely return to form and hopes of more success in the upcoming northern carnivals.

The 36-year-old Townsville hoop snapped a frustrating run of outs with wins on 30-1 shot Holtermann for Charters Towers trainer John  Barr and 16-1 pop Coolmeans for Cluden trainer Alby Molino.

Sheargold, the 2021 Cup winning jockey on Fortification, was thrilled to be back in the winning ranks.

“It’s been pretty lean time of it, but it comes with the territory,” Sheargold said.

“You have you’re ups and downs and this is the right time to be going up obviously.

“A couple of years ago I was going great and right in the finish on anything I rode in the cups and hopefully I can get back to that.

“I’ve got my weight down to around 55kg, I’m fit and riding 10 to 12 a morning at the track and hopefully things can go on from here.

“My wife Kelly had a winner the other day and she has a few nice ones in work and with a bit of luck we can build things up.”

Sheargold revived a successful partnership with trainer John Barr to steer Holtermann to an easy win despite the three-year-old gelding’s huge odds.

The duo, who have a 27% winning strike rate together, bagged a string of Cluden wins a couple of seasons agio including victories with the well performed Malos.

“It was great to ride a winner for Johnny. The relationship goes back a few years now. We had some good winners a few years back. Malos was a good one we had.

“It was good to get one home for Alby as well. I ride Coolmeans every day for Alby so hopefully it’s the start of something. It’s just nice to have a bit of support again.”

Veteran Jockey Nathan Day has continued a late season surge to take the lead in the Townsville jockeys’ premiership with a winning treble.

Day scored on two-year-old filly Craicaro for trainer Peter Cullen, the Ben Williams-trained Red Boomshakalaka and Armour Force for Stephen Massingham.

Cullen said the engagement of Day was the key to Craicaro’s win.

“The filly had more bad luck than good at her last start in the Classic,” Cullen said.

“We went with a senior rider today and the small field too was the key.

“I do believe I owed Nathan the ride. He’s rung up a number of times in the past to get the ride but I had someone. This time I rang him and he said ‘I’d love to ride her’ and everything went good.

“I’ll wait and see how she comes through this and have a look in the book.

“I think she’s up there ability wise but like I said you’ve got to have right jockey at the right time.

“Now that she’s won again, hopefully the jockeys will want to chase the ride.”

Day’s treble took his Cluden tally to 27 wins, one clear of defending premier Lacey Morrison, setting up a tight tussle with just three race meetings to go in the season.

Meanwhile leading trainer Georgie Holt all but sealed a win in the trainers’ premiership when Arctic Wolf recorded the stable’s 32^nd win for the season.

Holt now has a 16 win lead over Roy Chillemi.

Pictured: Coolmeans and jockey Scott Sheargold.

See the racing calendar for upcoming race days.