Kelli Dawson gets the coveted lead photo gig here this week after her wonderful effort to win the 2010 BOTRA (Breeders, Owners, Trainers, Reinsmans Association) Young Drivers Championship Series. Kelli's win gave her proud parents Geoff and Gail a fourth winner in the series in the last four years, as Kelli's sister Melissa had won the award in 2007 and her brother Trent had won the series in both 2008 and 2009. The Dawson family make their home at Glamorganvale which is just outside of Ipswich on the Esk road.(For information re a harness racing meeting on Sunday see main text.)

Oaks day rolls around at Eagle Farm tomorrow and whilst some of the race fields look like providing some top racing, the Oaks field is little more than an absolute waste of $400,000 worth of prizemoney.

What a woeful bunch of legless 3YO fillies have been assembled for the race – all 23 of them. In fact in all the time I have been following racing, I cannot recall ever seeing such a woeful bunch assembled for a Group 1 race worth $400,000.

The Oaks is run over 2400 metres, yet of the 23 acceptors there would be only three, or 13.04% of the runners who could run 2400 metres, even if all 23 fillies were pushed out of an aeroplane at 2401 metres.

The Queensland Oaks will long rely on the win of the Kiwi filly Ethereal in 2001 to prove that the race can produce a genuine Group 1 performer, after Ethereal proved she was capable of going on and winning both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups later that year. You can take it from me that the entire 23 fillies that have accepted to run in tomorrow’s Queensland Oaks are “legless” and aren’t headed to any dizzy heights when they turn 4YO in just seven weeks time.

Queensland Racing Chief Handicapper Lester Grimmett has advised there are no scaled weights for the Oaks day meeting at Eagle Farm.

Brad Tamer from Unitab advises the following jackpot information from Unitab tomorrow. Firstly there is a huge $232,027 Trifecta jackpot on the Queensland Oaks (BR7). There is also a Quadrella jackpot of $42,880 on the Eagle Farm BR Quadrella. There is also a First 4 jackpot of $15,840 on Race 1 (BT1) at the Albion Park harness racing meeting tomorrow evening and there is also an Any 2 jackpot of $8,936 on Albion Park Race 2 (BT2).

Sean Bridges from the Brisbane Racing Club has kindly sent the track conditions through for tomorrow’s meeting at Eagle Farm and he has advised that as at 3pm this afternoon the track was rated as a “dead 4” with a penetrometer reading of 4.70, following on from a penetrometer reading the day before of 4.90. Sean advised he expects the penetrometer to come in about 4.60 in the morning at 7am, “at which point the track will probably be upgraded to a good 3”. Tomorrow in Brisbane is forecast to be fine, so if punters work on a “good 3” track for Eagle Farm they will be on the money according to Sean.

The apprentice jockeys can only claim in one race at Eagle Farm tomorrow and the two apprentices riding in that race should claim:

Today on www.brisbaneracing.com.au I preview Race 6, the Eagle Farm Cup, on www.sydneyracing.com.au I preview Race 5, the Daybreak Lover Plate, whilst on www.melbourneracing.com.au Tim Hickman looks at Flemington.

Regular readers to Justracing will know Dan Costello’s name well, as he has been supplying photos for the Justracing websites for ages. Well Dan has decided to launch his own website - and it will take more shape in the next few weeks, but you can view the basics of the website and get the general gist by visiting him on www.racingwrap.com. Naturally I will give him every assistance to help his project along, the same as I have done for most of the racing websites that are based in Brisbane, as the more websites that people have access to - the better, in my humble opinion.

Harness racing participants are reminded that there is a BOTRA industry meeting and sausage sizzle at Marburg Sunday at 1.30pm. Topics for discussion include the three code amalgamation and the whip rule. Justracing has been advised that Mike Godber the CEO of Harness Racing Queensland will be in attendance.

Galilee has sent through this report on Adelaide racing tomorrow:

Canterbury Star ran okay last week, but no money there and my old mate, Stakhanovite, was tipped for the quinella, but ran third, yet he paid well for the place, so I hope some readers may have put him in the exotics.

This week at Morphettville Parks the rail is out 7 metres and the track is a Dead 4, so I’d look for ‘on pacers’ who like the sting out of the ground. That is my advice at this time.

I am going to Race 5 for a bet this week. They are a pretty average lot, but I am looking for something that can both 1) run the distance and 2) be on the pace and hopefully handle a Dead 4 track.

In selecting Musty Springs I have taken all of that on board. He ran a very honest race last start at massive odds when second to Port Vell. That day Musty Springs was trapped wide and raced forward. He usually is on the pace and Jordan Frew takes the mount again. Jordan has been on him for his last three runs and you would expect he has a very good knowledge of him. In this field I see the dangers as Countess of Tiba and perhaps Miss Martika, but she is jumping 700 metres in this and I am not keen on that. Musty Springs did reach the lead last start after a reasonably tough run and boxed on well. I expect he will be decent odds in this and I suggest that we bet each way.

If the track plays the way I expect it too, then perhaps we can get an easy lead, or get to the front heading for home and ‘kick’. If that all happens, then we all might have to pull the stick and ride him home. (Editors note: Don’t you just hate that when some moron pulls the whip when you are trying to listen. My only comment is “It is the wonder there aren’t more murders committed in TAB’s”.) I have seen Musty Springs go around in a lot of races, he has had sixty starts, and I must say that, to me, he seems to try his heart out all the time. He just keeps on going. Have a read of his form and you will know what I mean. He can and will plug away and this is not a flash field. If we do get a soft lead I do expect him to show us some money. I fancy Countess of Tiba for the quinella.

Selection:  9e/w – 8.

Good Luck.

Neil Davis from leading New Zealand racing website www.formpro.co.nz has sent through this report on Kiwi gallopers that are running at Eagle Farm tomorrow. In full his report reads:

(Please check all numbers with official lists)

Race 2

-8- La Etoile. Last week we saw trainer Roger James’ ability to extract a few lengths on Firebolt’s New Zealand form to win easily at Doomben. La Etoile has been patiently handled and she has shown enough in New Zealand to be a place chance in this, especially from the draw. She can get back and may need luck from the inside draw.

-12- Pennacchio didn’t get all favours on debut and would be right in this if the track softens up.

Race 3

-3- Wealth Princess won decisively last start. She has continued to improve since that win and on a “good” track is an excellent chance to repeat the performance. Her times and sectionals in New Zealand indicated that this mare has huge upside. She needs to win this to have a chance of getting into the big one in seven days. Michael Walker knows her well now and she will drop back from that draw and with a reasonable speed likely, she can run over these late again. -10- Barinka isn’t in her class.

Race 5

-2- Sir Time Keeper was run over late last week and drops back to 1400m. With plenty of runners likely to be looking for the lead, or be on the pace, he may get caught wide and have to work overtime to get in one off or the lead, so is a risk.

Race 7

-7- Spera. She did plenty of work last start and still fought on gamely for fourth. From the inside draw she has plenty of early pace to make the most of it. I can see her securing the trail and there won’t be many who will get past her in the straight, so she is a great each way bet.

Race 8

-3- Fritzy Boy. He would need the heavens to open to slow the others up enough to catch them.