Hundreds took to the track at Schumacher Park to Beat the Heat on Saturday and they were rewarded with a great day's racing with Matthew Gray and Philip Cole combining for four out of six winners.
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In race 1 Beat the Heat Benchmark 45 Handicap over 1000m jockey Matthew Gray led the Philip Cole-trained Faith and Love to an easy victory by eight lengths from Forgotten Bow and Hologram.
Race 2 was the Westgulf Stock Feeds Maiden Plate over 1200m and the Gray-Cole combination were at it again this time with $2 favourite Blax which sprinted home to win by four lengths from Monica Room and My Boy Sooty.
In Race 3 the Sparrow Harrison Memorial Class 3 Plate over 1200m Gray and Cole were beginning to look unbeatable completing the trifecta with the appropriately named Stroke of Magic which won by two and a half lengths from Christmas Creek and Costa Royale.
But the dynamic duo of Gray and Cole were not finished yet.
They made it four from four in the Cloncurry Tyres and Batteries Open Handicap over 1200m this time with Torch Bearer which won by two lengths from favourite Tango Rain while Kapset finished third.
Race 5 was the Judy Keyes / John Bulley QTIS Benchmark 55 Handicap over 1400m and the spell was finally broken when the Gray and Cole's Mister Hay Zee was pushed back to third.
Damien Finter and Dan Ballard combined with the winner Empire Games which finished a head clear of Zagivota.
Race 6 was a race meant to be run in Bedourie on the same day but had to be moved when the Diamantina Shire carnival was cancelled due to COVID.
That was the Simpson Desert Racing Carnival Open Handicap over 1400m and it was a win for the elder Ballards with jockey Keith riding trainer Denise's Dukes Country to a two length win over Grand Symphony and Snappy Strategic.
Racing in the North West moves to Winton this Saturday, September 18 then back in Mount Isa for the Spring Cup on September 25.
READ ALSO: Lake Moondarra Fishing Classic cancelled
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
