Locky and Wally on what went wrong for Queensland: QLDER
QLD legends Wally Lewis and Darren Lockyer dive into State or Origin Game 1 and how it got away from the Maroons. They talk the difference in forwards, who were the stand-out players for Queensland, and was that Daly Cherry-Evans last game?
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News.com.au
an hour ago
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Post-race jockey reports from the 2025 Queensland Derby
Proud Queenslander John O'Shea landed the quinella in the $1 million Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday. O'Shea trains in partnership with Tom Charlton and the Sydney training team delivered first and second in the blue ribband with Maison Louis defeating King Of Thunder with Victorian filly Chase Your Dreams in third. The favourite Statuario was beaten early in the straight and finished well back in 14th. He's home! The G1 Queensland Derby belongs to Maison Louis thanks to a lovely ride by @RMaloney_Jockey - and @JohnOSheaRacing get the quinella with King Of Thunder in second spot! ðŸ'¥ ðŸ'° @BrisRacingClub @RaceQLD — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025 Maison Louis was having his seventh run of his first racing campaign and was ridden by Ryan Maloney and provided his stallion Super Seth with a third Australian Group 1 win this season. Maison Louis' fourth from seven starts and took his earnings to more than $670,000. This is what the riders thought of their mount's performance in the Queensland Derby. â– â– â– â– â– 1st – MAISON LOUIS (Ryan Maloney) Unbelievable, his breeding suggests he shouldn't get the trip, but he's a beautiful ride, he conserves his energy so well. It was a very dawdling run Derby, and when J-Mac (James McDonald) sort of made his move at the half mile, he increased the tempo, but not by a hell of a lot. We were sort of on the fence and everyone was starting to want to get to that better ground, and John wanted me to get one off, but after the scratchings, we ended up drawing one. But that's why I wanted to be three back the fence, so I had two options when I wanted to stake my claim. I was given the opportunity to come out and it ended up on the back of Waller horse (Imperialist) and yeah he was just too tough. When he got the gap, he pinned his ears back and was just tough as nails. 2nd – KING OF THUNDER (Mark Zahra) He ran really well, I thought we had it won but the stablemate just beat him. 3rd – CHASE YOUR DREAMS (Rachel King) She's absolutely flying this filly. If she'd drawn a gate or had a bit more luck, then she might have been tough to hold out but she couldn't be going any better. 4th – LAVALIER (Kerrin McEvoy) Great effort by James (Cummings) and the horse to travel up from two good runs in Adelaide. He stays and is very genuine, so he'll keep improving. 5th – IMPERIALIST (Tommy Berry) He tried really hard today. There was a question over whether he stays the trip or not, and he doesn't. But it was the perfect opportunity to test him and he'll come back nicely next prep. 6th – DEEP FOCUS (Michael Rodd) He ran enormous. We just copped a squeeze at the 400-metre mark, and that took our momentum away. But he picked himself back up and did a great job, especially for a horse having his first prep. 7th – BELLE DETELLE (James McDonald) It was a really good race. 8th – POLITELY DUN (Jordan Childs) I was really proud of his efforts. We had to go back from the wide gate and he finished off as well as he could. 9th – OUR BENEFACTOR (Joshua Parr) He's a lovely horse, he is just quite unsure of himself in certain situations. But next prep he'll be really nice. 10th – EXISTENTIAL BOB (Jason Collett) The distance is probably a bit far at this level. 11th – FEMMINILE (Tim Clark) She's probably come to the end of her prep. 12th – ROGAN (Koby Jennings) That run will help him grow up a lot. He had to come through the shifty part of the track, but he hit the line really well. 13th – BEAU DAZZLER (Jag Guthmann-Chester) Unfortunately he had a tough run, we were three wide punching the breeze the whole way, so probably didn't get the chance to stay the trip. 14th – STATUARIO (John Allen) Very disappointing. We never got into a good rhythm, and we were always just on one rein. We struggled from the 500-metre mark. 15th – SCINTILLANTE (Billy Egan) It's time for him to go for a spell. 16th – THE MUFFIN MAN (Ethan Brown) That was an end of prep run. 17th – FIRM AGREEMENT (Jamie Mott) He had a fantastic run through the race, he probably just came to the end of his prep. N/A – PARTY CRASHER (Craig Williams) Late scratching at the barriers.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Queensland Reds left frustrated by another early exit from the Super Rugby Pacific finals series
Putting in a 'great shift' is little consolation for a Queensland Reds side sick of falling at the first hurdle in the Super Rugby Pacific finals series. For the fourth successive year, the Reds have been knocked out in the first week of the finals – each time in New Zealand – after being thumped 32-12 by the clinical Crusaders in Christchurch on Friday night. The Crusaders also beat the Reds at the same stage of the playoffs in 2022, while it was the Chiefs who were responsible for Queensland's week one finals exits in 2023 and last year. Queensland coach Les Kiss has no doubt his team is good enough to progress further along the finals round, but the Reds are yet to prove they are genuine contenders for the Super Rugby Pacific crown. 'This is a point that we've stopped at each year and we've got to be able to find a way to get through to that next level for sure,' Kiss said. 'We've got enough good people in the organisation, from the players right through to our professional rugby staff, so we can do it. We know that. 'I really feel for them all because they put a great shift in this year, all of them, and to finish up like this is despondent.' Injuries didn't help the Reds' cause this season, but Kiss felt the experience gained by a host of emerging players would benefit Queensland in the future. 'We used 38 players this year. That's one thing I'm very proud of,' he said. 'We didn't have a good injury run. That happens, but the boys who stood up and came in, (centre) Dre Pakejo for one, (back-rower) Joe Brial … had a massively good year. 'Young men that keep stepping up for us, that's really pleasing. I'm very proud of the program that delivers that.' The Reds started the season impressively and were on target to achieve their goal of a top-three ladder finish, which would have guaranteed them a qualifying final on home spoil, after being in first spot after seven rounds. However, they lost five of their remaining eight regular season matches – including a shock 36-33 loss to Fijian Drua in Suva on May 3 – that resulted in them placing fifth on the table. 'We certainly lost a Fiji game that we shouldn't have over there … so we still have to own some of the errors that we can improve on, however it was a competition that was compelling,' Kiss said. Reds skipper Tate McDermott said despite Friday night's loss it wasn't all 'doom and gloom' for Queensland. 'We're really disappointed that our journey again finishes in the quarter-finals, but we've just got to regroup and go again next year,' the star halfback said.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Post-race jockey reports from the 2025 Kingsford Smith Cup
Champion jockey James McDonald timed his run to perfection aboard Joliestar in the $1 million Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The Chris Waller-trained mare came from well back in the field to claim the weight-for-age feature in the final stride. Joliestar defeated Zarastro by a nose with a similar margin back to Golden Mile in third. An EPIC finish in the G1 Kingsford Smith Cup sees Joliestar nab them right on the line to take her third Group 1! 🤩 @cwallerracing @mcacajamez @BrisRacingClub @RaceQLD — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025 The win was Joliestar's sixth from 15 starts, her third at Group 1 level, and took her earnings to more than $4.5 million. Waller indicated he would discuss Joliestar's immediate with her owners but while holding a nomination for next week's Stradbroke Handicap, the likelihood is the four-year-old will head to the paddock to begin her preparation for the $20 million The Everest in October. This is what the riders thought of their mount's performance in the Kingsford Smith Cup. â– â– â– â– â– 1st - JOLIESTAR (James McDonald) She wasn't entitled to win, but that's how good she is. When I looked up at the 600m I thought I was OK, then I got on my bike but as soon as I did that, the pace quickened and the margin went from five lengths turning for home to seven lengths. It just didn't feel like I was making ground. I was lucky I was on a proper horse, even though she didn't like the ground at Eagle Farm today. 2nd - ZARASTRO (Angela Jones) So gutsy. He was all the way there, he was there to the last stride. Very proud. 3rd - GOLDEN MILE (Jason Collett) Good performance. Positioned himself well from the gate and still there at the finish. Happy. 4th - KIMOCHI (Craig Williams) She was really good and solid. Gave me a lovely ride throughout, the leaders got a break and we had to chase them down and she stuck to the task really well. 5th - RISE AT DAWN (Ethan Brown) He found them a bit sharp off the bridle but he ran really well. He blew out a bit late but up in trip is going to suit him and I think he's come up really well this prep. 6th - GIGA KICK (Mark Zahra) Joliestar had a bit more tactical speed than us early so I came back and followed her. We gave them a big start but I probably would have liked him to finish off a bit better, like the winner. 7th - BENEDETTA (Tim Clark) She had a good run, it worked out beautifully. Just felt she lost a bit of confidence around the bend on that shifty ground and she has done a bit of racing this preparation so she may have just come to the end of it. 8th - LIBERTAD (Jamie Mott) A little bit below his best today. He had a perfect run but just found he wasn't at his best. 9th - PAYLINE (Tommy Berry) He gave himself a real good whack out of the gates and never felt great after that.
