Tax Man Opens Cluden Account with Runaway Win

Don’t be surprised if the much travelled The Tax Accountant tackles some of the north’s rich Cup races later this year after a powerhouse win at Cluden Park on Friday.

The son of Love Conquers All responded to a classy Graham Kliese ride to swamp his rivals in the Brothers Rugby Union Club Open Hcp (1400m).

Kliese also won on punters’ favourite Hell Of A Boy while jockey Carl Spry landed a double and Marnu Potgieter bagged a treble.

A Cups campaign may now be on the agenda for The Tax Accountant who was switched from Brisbane to Townsville by the Tom Button stable in a bid to find form.

Button’s Townsville foreman Brad Hearne said the stable would consider extending the sprinter\miler out to 2000m to see if he measured up as a Cups horse.

“Tommy thought he might have reached his mark down there (Brisbane) and sent him up to find something a bit easier,” Hearne said.

“Any suitable races in town with his rating he’s up in the weights but here in his last couple runs in open handicaps he’s got in around the 56kg mark.

“We mapped out three races for him here – last start when he was third, today and a mile race in a couple of weeks’ time but then there’s not much around for him.

“Tommy’s tinkering with the idea of setting him for the cups.

“He thought he might have been a cups horse last year but wasn’t really sure about the 2000m plus.

“The mile race here should be perfect for him. He’ll then probably have a bit of a break and go back to Tommy and have a few lead up runs and see if he can stretch him out to 2000m.”

The Tax Accountant’s win continued a steady build-up for Button’s Townsville satellite stable which has been established primarily to chase northern QTIS money with younger horses.

Hearne came north from Brisbane to supervise the operation and says the stable is just starting to hit its straps.

“The main reason to come here is to chase the QTIS money. The first team of horses we had, we soon realised had reached their mark and needed to be turned over,” Hearne said.

“We started afresh about three or four months ago and as you can see we’re having a bit of a run at the moment, a lot of placings but the odd winner coming in as well.

“Tommy’s got a better idea now of the types of horses to send up. We’ve got a dozen, and four or five of those are two-year-olds . 

“We had a good early season winner (Four Mile Lane) and he’s gone down to Tommy and might be a chance in some of those later two year old races over 1400m or a mile when they drop away a bit.

“With the stable down there and the stable up here Tommy can race for QTIS money from the Gold Coast all the way to Cairns.

“There wouldn’t be too many stables than can do that.”

Potgieter, Kliese and Spry dominated Friday’s eight event  card.

Spry’s double included a win for his trainer wife Sarah Acornly on the promising two-year-old Alter Boy and an all-the-way win on River Tycoon for trainer Georgie Holt.

Potgieter claimed the day’s riding honours with wins on King Jester, Deluxe Rocker, and greybeard Lushan in the last who recorded his first win in three years.

Pictured: Brad Hearne, son Harry and partner Ellen with the Button stable’s The Tax Accountant after Friday’s impressive win.

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