It was straight into high-quality early March racing with a pair of Group 1 races being decided at the Manukau Stadium on the first Sunday of the month.
Pictured: Plasterboard Auckland Cup winner He’s All Power
Both finals resulted in empathic victories for Canterbury trained greyhounds. He’s All Power maintained the Dave and Jean Fahey high training Group race winning strike rate when after getting himself into a handy position going down the back straight, he powerfully unleashed to seize the $80,000 Plasterboard Auckland Cup by a fourth length margin when completing the 527m trip in 30.48s.
“I didn’t really want to look when they went into the first turn – I closed my eyes, expecting trouble. When I looked for him going into the back straight and he was in third, I then started thinking this should be our race, knowing how strong he is. It was a big thrill to see him getting up to win the cup,” advised Jean Fahey about the third Auckland Cup winner the couple has mentored.
There are two Group 1 short course sprints on the annual national calendar. The sharp sprinter Swimming Goat won the first of them when he annexed the Galaxy Sprint at Addington. His conditioner Calum Weir brought him north to contest the other elite dash – the Railway Sprint. He returned south with that title secured after scampering through his 318m assignment in 18.38s while holding his rivals at bay by a three-length margin.
“Jumping clear made it so much easier for him – his fast first sectional helped to take him clear. I was able to relax and watch him after his start. This is huge to come away from Addington to win another Group 1 race on a completely different track. Yes, I’m rapt to achieve the Group 1 double with him,” said Weir.
The Auckland Cup meeting also brought an end of an era for the northern region. The ever reliable Erena Kokeheke ‘hung up’ the lure after over a decade of driving at both northern venues. Both the Auckland and Waikato clubs gave her thoroughly deserved farewell.
“I really enjoyed driving the pups - more than the racing dogs. It is great to follow their progress from breaking in, to when they are race dogs up in the grades. To me, the secret to driving pups is to put the lure under their noses. Really, it didn’t matter to me what grade or ability greyhounds I drove had – I simply loved driving them.” That comment provided by Erena summed the absolute satisfaction she held for her driving assignments.
Railway Sprint winner Swimming Goat; Erena Kokeheke after her final northern region lure drive; a section of the on-course crowd during the Plasterboard Ltd Auckland Cup meeting
The March 10 Friday Hatrick meeting saw a training milestone being achieved. It was the last race on the card when Lisa Cole produced Bigtime Thinker to win her 305m sprint. It was Cole’s 400th training success for the current racing season.
The first of the ‘big wets’ struck during the middle of the month which forced the March 12 Manukau and the March 14 Addington meetings having to be abandoned following torrential rain.
The Kiwi bred stayers contested their $11,000 NZRS Distance final over the extreme 755m journey at the Hatrick Raceway on March 17. It turned into a total triumph for the Queen of the New Zealand staying ranks Shandell. The prolific winning daughter of Mogambo and Teegan showed why she is dual back to back NZ Stayer of the Year title holder when comprehensively dealing to her staying opponents. She cruised to win by a 3.25 length margin, returning 42.05s. Shandell led home a stayer that has since gone on to turn the tables on her. Thrilling Flo for Karen Walsh who caught the eye by finishing as the runner-up.
It was Shandell’s 34th race victory and it carried her race earnings out to $202, 547. She has placed on a further 21 occasions from 72 race day outings. This was Shandell’s fifth win in an NZRS Distance final, meaning in those races alone she has accumulated an additional attached $15,000 in Breeders’ bonus payments. Her Group race victories have also seen her winning breeders’ bonuses with all of these payments now sitting at just a tick under $20,000.
“Shandell has been a terrific little bitch. You wouldn’t know that in six months she will turn five – you would think she is half that age the way that she frolics around at home. We are very, very proud of Shandell – she has been a great advertisement for the staying greyhounds,” a rightfully proud Arch Lawrence stated.
Two of the nation’s non-tote clubs held their annual TAB meeting during March. First up it was the Taranaki club at Hatrick which saw the Lisa Cole prepared Allegro Gun winning the highest graded race on the card. Seven days later it was the turn of the Tokoroa club to host their meeting at the Cambridge Raceway.
Their feature event was the $6,000 South Waikato Cup which saw local trainer Denis Schofield repeat his training success from the previous year when Blazing Spirit scampered to his 25.60s 457m win, scoring by a 1.25 length margin.
Bigtime Thinker was the 400th winner for Lisa Cole for the current season, Shandell raced through the $200,000 stakes earning barrier when she easily won the Hatrick hosted $11,000 NZRS Distance final; Blazing Spirit following his South Waikato Cup win
March 21 saw the Robin Wales and Josh Lane training partnership becoming the eighth trainers to join the 100 club for trainers who have cracked the century of winners for the current season. It was Opawa Norris who brought up their milestone during the Otago meeting when prevailing over 545m. The following day at Hatrick saw Matt Roberts bringing up 200 winners for the season when Cawbourne Spook was successful.
The southern chasing star Southern Lights maintained his strong run of winning form on his local Ascot Park track when he finished powerfully for his 25.90s victory in the March 28 final of the $11,000 NZRS Advanced final. The warmly supported Roy Hamilton owned and trained chaser won the 457m event by three-quarters of a length. Anne Dann was the beneficially of the associated $3,000 Breeders’ bonus payments attached to the final being the breeder of this son of Lochinvar Marlow and Imperative.
As mentioned it was a strong start to the month and March wrapped up the same way with the inaugural running of the tri-code City of Palmerston North Gold Cup meetings. On the greyhound side, it was an emphatic victory by the Dave and Jean Fahey prepared American Warrior who stylishly took out the newly instigated $15,000 Group 2 event. He completed his 457m assignment in 26.29s when scoring by a 1.5 length margin.
It was a super afternoon/evening of chasing action which featured a minimum stake of $5,000 being offered for seven on the nine races. The other higher staked race was the four dog Arch Lawrence Distance Invitation over the extreme 766m trip for a $10,000 stake. It resulted in an all the way pace making win for the Karen Walsh prepared Thrilling Flo who has announced her arrival as a quality stayer. Her 5.25 length winning margin after 44.88s of chasing action confirm those thoughts.
Southern Lights (left, pic Dave Robbie) was strong when winning the Southland hosted $11,000 NZRS Advanced final, while American Warrior and Thrilling Flo won the feature Palmerston North races during their big ticket Gold Cup meeting
The month concluded with Lisa Cole leading the Trainers’ Premiership having been required to salute the judge on 448 occasions ($850,233 in stakes). Perennial premiership winner John McInerney was sitting on 372 winners ($672,955), while Matt Roberts had prepared 208 winners ($401,675). Dave and Jean Fahey had reached 180 winners ($565,350), Craig Roberts was next on 141 ($305,675), then came the leading northern region trainer Denis Schofield was on 116 winners ($273,000).
Assisting Lisa Cole to her leading the training ranks has been Timma Turtle (left), Wheelchair Norm has contributed to John McInerney’s tally, while Cawbourne Brick has added to Matt Roberts total
By Peter Fenemor - The Dogs
