Wielding his whip like a wand Mount Isa Jockey Dan Ballard cast a magic spell over his rivals at Buchanan Park on Saturday.
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Ballard saluted on The King’s Magic in the opening race and Flying Magic in the third and in between drove Believe It Or Not to an impressive win.
His spell was broken by Jason Babarovich and Tuning in the Benchmark 60 Handicap (1000m) when, in an open race, the outsiders kept coming while the favourites faded. Tuning and Tidal Rip battled it out down the straight until Tuning got clear close to the line to win by half a length. Tidal Rip fell into second place a nose in front of Diurnal Tiger who had an interrupted run.
The Albus Dumbledore of Queensland Country Racing Keith Ballard greeted the judge first
If the jockeys thought they had seen the last of Dan they were not clear of the Ballard name. The very next race, the Open Handicap (1000m), the Albus Dumbledore of Queensland Country Racing Keith Ballard greeted the judge first. The race was a bottler with odds on favourite Craiglea Cruz giving his all only to run into Sparkling Vixen. With Eldrick joining in the trio went neck and neck up the straight until they crossed the line with Sparkling Vixen a neck in front of Eldrick and Craiglea Cruz a neck further back in third.
Keith scored a double in the last, Class 6 Plate (1200m), in the easiest win of the day. Split The Atom moved forward at the 1000m and kept going until he was six and a quarter lengths clear at the post. Dreamward Bound was second six and three quarter lengths in front of third place getter Night Wolf.
Dan Ballard’s hat trick started in the first race, Benchmark 50 Handicap, when The King’s Magic sat just outside the leaders.
Despite the perfect positioning The King’s Magic had to fight hard to hold off the outsider The Fab Three by a short half head with Hot Prospect two and a quarter lengths third.
In the Class B Handicap punters sent Lord Windemere and Believe It Or Not out the only two under double figures.
From the inside barriers the two favourites were expected to stage a match race but at the 600 metres five horses vied for the lead.
A war of attrition ensued until Believe It Or Not emerged victorious by one and a half lengths over Lord Windemere and Sciolta half a length third.
Flying Magic was a class above the rest in the Maiden Plate and completed Dan Ballard’s treble with a seven and a half length win.
Oakfield Sunset pinched second by a head from Nitro City.