BEAUTIFULLY-BRED mare Anatola gave replacement rider Robbie Fradd the perfect farewell gift in staging a brilliant frontrunning performance to win Saturday’s Silk Stocking.

Fradd announced on Saturday he has taken up a contract to ride in Mauritius, effective immediately. He leaves on Monday night and expects to ride on Saturday for his contracted trainer Gilbert Rousset.

Offers for Fradd to return to Mauritius started after he had success at the international meeting last December. Initially the offers didn’t meet Fradd’s requirements, but they upped the ante in a bid to secure the South African.

“Before the international meeting, it was 24 years ago that I was there,” he said. “That’s a bit scary isn’t it?”

Fradd won a premiership during his previous stint in Mauritius.

The contract will see him in Mauritius almost to the end of this year.

Fradd was offered the Anatola ride after Josh Parr was injured at a midweek meeting in Sydney. Earlier, he was out of luck on Hollindale favourite Comin’ Through, but he still rated the Doncaster runner-up disappointing.

HARRISON MAKES A DREAMS RETURN
POPULAR jockey Tegan Harrison announced her comeback in style with an all-the-way win on Dreams Aplenty in the newly named Gold Coast Cup.

Previously known as the Prime Minister’s Cup, the $100,000 feature was Harrison’s first stakes success since taking the Silk Stocking on Eloping on the same card two years ago.

She broke her collarbone last December and spent longer on the sidelines than initially was planned, only returning to riding on April 11.

“I broke my collarbone in four or five different places and had to have surgery on it to put it all back together,” she said. “The surgeon told me I would be out for three months and up to that point everyone else had said six weeks, so I just made the most of it.

“The good thing is I gave it the time it needed. Since I came back it has not given me one issue. A common mistake is that we come back too early but I kept stressing to my surgeon I’m not in a rush to get back. I wanted to have no pain when I came back.

“The first three weeks I couldn’t take any more than five rides. I had to ease back into it and I found that a bit difficult to get my fitness back.

“I needed to have a few hit-outs in a row and I felt it was only this week I started to regain the fitness. I had a heap of trials on Tuesday and pulled up good after them.”

Dreams Aplenty has won seven of his 20 starts and almost $400,000 in prizemoney for owner Evan Hartley.

Trainer John Zielke is keen to get Dreams Aplenty back up over a mile and that’s why he hasn’t targeted any of the big winter sprints.

BATTLE FOR THE BIKE
KRIS Lees might have trouble extricating his prize for winning the Bat Out Of Hell from caretaker trainer Mel Eggleston.

Lees’ Guard Of Honour proved too classy in the 900m scamper to beat Snoopy and Tiyatrolani, earning the trainer a new $30,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

On Friday Lees joked he might leave the bike with Eggleston should he win it and the Gold Coast trainer thought that was a good idea, even though Less had issued different instructions prior to Saturday’s race.

“Kris said to just put the bike in the spare spot on the float next to the horse and send it home,” Eggleston said. “I’ve got an old Honda 90 at home with a puncture and a flat battery. So I might put that on the float and tell him that’s all they gave me and keep this one!”

Perhaps Damian Browne could put his hand up for the bike. It was a masterly ride. He eased out of the speed battle from the gates, pinched ground on the inside, secured the run when he needed it and bided his time before pushing the ‘go’ button.

INQUIRY DATE SET
THE fate of trainer Mark Currie and two stablehands from the stable of his son Ben will be determined at a QRIC stewards’ inquiry on Friday.

The three have been called to appear at the inquiry following an investigation that began on Weetwood day, April 7. Mark Currie has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges issued by stewards alleging race day treatment of horses on April 7 and also March 24.

Integrity Commissioner Ross Barnett said analysis of CCTV footage seized from the Toowoomba stables is “now complete.”

However, the inquiry into Ben Currie is ongoing.

“As previously stated I expected this investigation to be a protracted one and almost a month out it is still ongoing. I anticipate it will continue on for several more weeks,” Barnett said.

“The investigation is examining the involvement of any and all persons involved in race day treatment at those stables contrary to the rules of racing.

“Trainer Ben Currie has appeared before an inquiry which has been adjourned and will resume once the results of ongoing investigations are known.”

Meanwhile, Currie was hit with a $3000 fine by stewards last week for working horses at Clifford Park on Good Friday, when the track was closed. Currie pleaded not guilty before being found guilty.

HOUTZEN SIZZLES
LAST year’s Magic Millions winner Houtzen attracted glowing praise from Jeff Lloyd after a blistering exhibition gallop in between races at the Gold Coast.

Official times from the gallop included a 31.65 last 600m and home her last 400m in 20.63 seconds ahead of the filly’s tilt on Saturday’s Group 1 Doomben 10,000.

“It was the best she’s ever worked,” Lloyd said. “The blinkers were always a risk, but she switched off in them and concentrated. She was always going to run fast time with the wind behind her and only running a half mile (800m), so it’s just a matter of her doing it over 1200m. But she’s come back from Sydney in great order.”

Lloyd is booked for the ride on Care To Think in the Doomben 10,000, with XXXX to ride Houtzen.

WIGGINS ON A ROLL
RYAN Wiggins had quite the 24 hours to kick-off the long weekend, maintaining a faultless record at three different venues. He landed a double at the Sunshine Coast on Friday from his two rides before making his way to the Gold Coast to team with Denbern in the opening event. He then hit the road again, this time to Ipswich, where he guided Wanna Blue home a winner for Peter and Will Hulbert.

CHEAP THRILLS
BOOMSARA gave her new ‘owners for a day’ a big thrill with his second in the Ken Russell Classic. Trainer Chris Munce has teamed with radio station Nova and UBET to bring the raceday experience to a new group of people.

Nova has run a competition for people to get all the privileges of an owner — and the prizemoney sponsored by UBET — over the horse’s winter campaign, which will continue next in the BRC Sires and then the Group 1 JJ Atkins.

“I was happy to be involved because it’s a great way to bring new people into the game and show them just exciting racing a horse can be,” Munce said.

ON THE MONEY
MARKET movers proved lethal early in the day at the Gold Coast, with Denbern and Tyzone monster market movers through Saturday morning and right up to their respective races. In the case of Tyzone, the move for him coincided with the alarming drift of Mr Marbellouz. The Kevin Kemp-trained runner was as short as $1.40 in some places on Saturday morning, but official prices opened him at $1.85 and the drift kept going all the way out to $2.35.

Kemp told stewards Mr Marbellouz would now be spelled.