Aussies off to good start in jumps series
Story By Jason Hickson
Thursday, 17 August 2006: Perry Thomas, representing Australia, held of Irishman Stolen Property, with another Australian Jamey Foster in third placing. Irishman Niall Madden was fourth.
Coming into Saturday’s two legs of the series at Morphettville – the Novasure Steeplechase and McCracken Country Club Hurdle – the Australian team leads Ireland on eight points ahead of four.
A rift between the Australian Jumps Racing Association (based in Victoria) and both Thoroughbred Racing SA and Jumps Racing SA developed after Jamie Foster and Kosuke Kawakami were selected to represent the Australian team in the three South Australian legs of the series.
According to the AJRA, who own the popular series, teams were to be selected on premiership finishing order and have taken issue with the selection of Kawakami and Foster, both yet to ride a winner over the jumps.
Both riders, according to JRSA, were rewarded for their efforts in schooling many of South Australian jumpers and chasers in a state that lacks regular full time jumps riders.
After threatening to pull the South Australian legs of the series in future years TRSA came to a compromise, and for the first time this year there will be two Australian teams riding at Morphettville on Saturday.
The hurdle team will comprise Foster and Kawakami, along with Paul Hamblin and Tom Logan, while the steeple team will be Logan and Hamblin along with Nathan Dunn and Adam Trinder.
The Irish team is made up of Niall Madden, Brian Byrnes, Kevin Coleman and Niki O’Shea.
Niall Madden, on breeding, was always going to be a jockey. His father, also Niall, was a jockey and his mother is the daughter of champion rider Toss Taaffe. His uncle is Pat Taaffe, who was associated with the great Arkle in the 60’s.
Last year Madden won the Galway Hurdle and Aintree Grand National.
Brynes has ridden winners at both the Cheltenham and Aintree carnivals, while O’Shea has ridden a big winner at Fairyhouse.
Coleman, the youngest of the team, had a good opening season in the saddle and now rides for Francis Flood.
After Saturday the series heads to Victoria where there is a highweight at Werribee next Tuesday, followed by races at Sandown the following day and Moonee Valley on the Saturday.
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