NOVEMBER AIR SYNTHETIC SWITCH PROVES WINNING MOVE

NOVEMBER AIR DELIVERS A DYNAMIC DOUBLE ON MAY DAY

Heavy rain on the Sunshine Coast during the week had placed Friday’s Sunshine Coast night meeting on their turf track in peril. Rightly, Racing Queensland added a meeting for the same venue onto their synthetic surface as a backup meeting, should their turf meeting be unable to proceed.

With the meeting in jeopardy earlier in the week, an alternative 6 race programme was scheduled for the synthetic track at the same venue.

This proved a masterstroke as the meeting set down for their turf track was abandoned early Friday morning when Stewards considered the track as unfit for racing. So, the alternative meeting on the synthetic track was conducted.

NOVEMBER AIR trained by Annabel and Rob Archibald, was originally set to compete on the turf track in Race 8, a Bm58, 1600m race with a field of 15 runners. She was Number 2, carrying 61.0kgs.

A majority of trainers and horses have a dislike to the synthetic surface. There were also different grade races scheduled.

Our team had nominated NOVEMBER AIR for the Class 2 1600m trip, where we were far batter treated at the weights, carrying 3.0 kgs less in a field of only 7 runners, as opposed to 15 in the Bm58, where we would get last use of a chewed-up mud-heap.

The racing gods had their way. NOVEMBER AIR was beautifully placed in a small field, better weighted, and we were able to secure the best rider at the meeting to steer her around.

We had drawn Barrier 3 in a field of 7 but our question mark about the race was this was her first start on a synthetic surface.

We had a simple game plan to offset the first look at the poly track.

Be positive early with a preference to lead, if possible, control the tempo, kick off the home turn, and make them run you down.


On the way to the barriers

In simplistic terms – go to the front and improve on your position.

That’s because many horses that race on a poly surface won’t stretch out as comfortably on the poly as they do on turf, so it is harder for horses to make up ground in the straight.

These instructions were followed perfectly by jockey Ben Thompson who guided NOVEMBER AIR straight to the front, and our Dynamic Duo were never seriously challenged.


1500m

1200m

1000m

800m

400m

200m

50m

10m

Win

Our mare controlled the tempo and kicked off the bend, to be able to ease down the final 50m recording a well-deserved win.


She was light on her feet and skipped across the surface!


Crusies past the post

JOB DONE!


Ben Thompson returns NOVEMBER AIR to the Winners Circle in the teaming rain

CONGRATULATIONS to our Dynamic Team that Own and Race NOVEMBER AIR: Dynamic Ladies, Mr S J Koukoulas, Ms S T Hancock, Mr J R Kamaric, Mr T M Barclay, B Lynch, Mr C Brenchley, Mrs L A Butler, Mr GR Fraser, Laughing all the Way, Ms J Stewart, Mr R Romaldi, Mr S L Lamont, Mr A Attieh, Mrs B K Bennell, Mr S Najda, Mr P S Chiu, Wilson Brothers Racing, Mr W C Bradnam, Mr D A Simpson




Ben Thompson post-race said: “Well done team with NOVEMBER AIR. A good result and a good reward for patience. Obviously, she’s been close to the mark and had a well-deserved breakthrough tonight. Handled the synthetic fine, I will say she was perfectly placed. Barrier 3 was good, especially the way she jumped out, we could not have had a kinder run of things. You have to get every ounce of effort out of her by making her do it. Find a similar race and class going forward. It was fantastic to get the win today. She’s a winner and good to have her back there. So, thank you for the ride.”

by PIERATA from CHICKALETTA

Summary: 16 = 3:3:5 Prizemoney: $84,525 Dist-Win: 1300/1600

Race 2 was the HARLEQUIN BLINDS & SECURITY Class 2 Handicap (1600m)

1st of 7 SCPT 1May26, 1600m, Synthetic, CL2, $28,000, $15,600, Ben Thompson 57.5kg, Bar3 Rtg 64, 2nd Cheerful Cat 52kg ($6.5), 3rd Noire Emperor 60kg ($2.5 eq fav) 1:35.71, 600m 36.46, 1.4L x 1.28L, 1st@800m, 1st@400m. $2.50 eq fav. Trainer: Annabel & Rob Archibald.

This was our second win on the day having won with ETON at Wagga earlier in the day and our 4th Win for the week, joining PRINCE DE VEGA and PICCADERRO.

The WIN by NOVEMBER AIR took the DYNAMIC SYNDICATIONS overall race win tally to 996.

It also recorded our 45th Race Win for the current 2025-26 Racing Season.

RACE THE BEST WITH THE BEST

Onwards and Upwards – Forever Forwards!