Two weekend feature races resulted in Tirau trainer Karen Walsh being required to salute the judge on both occasions with a pair of classy greyhounds at different venues.
Pictured: Timmy Trumpet following his Manukau 527m feature win with Taylor Thornton (left) and Greg Hore.
Atrocious weather conditions faced the starters when Friday’s field for the $8,000 NZRS Graduation Series final was released from the Hatrick 520m traps. Wearing the white racing vest was the warm $1.50 favourite, the Walsh prepared Thrilling Raider.
He came away in the midfield from where he gradually improved to get onto the rail when racing around the first bend. He then went underneath the pace-setting Bernie’s Boy to claim a race lead that he was never going hand up.
Thrilling Raider, who member of the talented Sergio – Thrilling Ella litter, found the judge holding a two length margin, clocking a respectable 30.08s, especially considering the appalling, torrential rain the race was contested in.
Nitehawk Rose was very gallant when finishing second for club President Bill Hodgson. This daughter of Spring Gun and Real Clever had positioned herself handy to the early pace, initially in third from where she extended to nail her runner’s up possie.
As mentioned, the early pace-setter was the locally trained Bernie’s Boy who had jumped away nicely from the ace trap for Bernie Mitchell. It was a real bold effort that this son of Oaks Road and Grace Hill produced as seen when he gamely stuck to his task which saw him being rewarded for his third placing a further length behind.
The brilliant race placement that Walsh has mapped out for the Gary Harding bred and owned Thrilling Raider has now yielded him 14 race wins, from just 15 race day outings, while still being a c3 graded greyhound. He has accumulated $23,850 in stake earnings, excluding Breeders’ bonus payments which is rapidly growing as this was his third NZRS Series victory.
Previous pics of the Hatrick Friday NZRS Graduation winner Thrilling Raider after winning the recent Cambridge hosted NZRS Graduation, seen here with handler Taylor Thornton and after another victory, this time with handler Sophie Whittaker
It was the Walsh prepared multiple Group race winner Thrilling Boris who was sent to the Manukau 527m traps on Sunday as the raging $1.50 favourite for the feature $5,000 Clover Park Cup. A moderate start saw him being caught in some degree of jostling going into the first turn from where he suffered from traffic problems resulting in him finishing fourth.
His inform kennelmate Timmy Trumpet came away nicely from trap five to undertake the pace-making duties. He relished his task when in cruise control throughout, resulting in him securing his race win by a two and a half margin, clocking 30.60s.
Timma Turtle trekked up to the Auckland headquarters to make his track debut for his mentor Lisa Cole. It was stylish effort that he put in when sighted racing just in behind the pace. He kicked on solidly, which saw him claiming second 1.75 lengths in front of Our Sambo, who again really stepped up to the mark for his conditioner Mike Lozell when finishing three quarters of a length in front of Thrilling Boris.
The event sure was an interesting warm up race for next Sunday’s round of 527m heats for the Group 1 $80,000 Plaster Board Auckland Cup. Timmy Trumpet was the runner up (to Thrilling Boris) in the recent Hatrick Classic at Group 1 level. Following that he produced a searing 25.33s Cambridge 457m win. Timmy Trumpet is owned in Victoria by the Thompson Family syndicate, who are high profile industry participants over there.
Included is Jason Thompson, who is one of Australia’s leading trainers. For example he mentored the exciting stayer Burn One Down to victory in Saturday’s A$100,000 Zoom Top over the 725m trip at Group 1 level on Melbourne’s, The Meadows track. For good measure he trained the race quinella. The meeting was the first week of the three week massive A$1.2 million Australian Cup carnival.
Timmy trumpet will now head into his Auckland heat assignment as the winner of 33 of his 57 career races and after adding in a further 14 minor placings sees his stakes earnings now sitting at a tidy $90,997.
By Peter Fenemor
