As mentioned in the latest edition of the On Track magazine, the trophies for two national trainer’s awards will have a pair of new names inscribed on them.
Pictured: National Trainer’s Premiership winner Lisa Cole and husband Brendon with Hifi Allegro, whose progeny delivered a large number of the Cole prepared winners during the just completed 2016/17 season
It was one way traffic throughout the season with winners galore streaming unabated throughout the season from the Lisa Cole, Palmerston North based kennels. Many of those winners were homebred winners, which added to the satisfaction for the mainly family orientated racing operation, with husband Brendon along with daughters Georgia and Ella undertaking the bulk of the race day duties.
Cole completed the 2016/17 racing season with an astounding 713 race victories. Another 916 minor placings contributed to the staggering $1,463,996 in stake earnings won by the kennel. The biggest provider to that tally was Allegro Gun, who also won the NZ Bred Greyhound of the Year title, with $72,293. The kennel also mentored two Group 1 winners Storm Warning (New Zealand Derby) and Spare Some Time (New Zealand Futurity).
Perennial national premiership winner John McInerney had to settle for the runner up position after producing the winners of 540 races, with the majority of those winners also being homebred. A further 1181 minor podium placings assisted the kennel to also advance through the seven figure barrier, finishing with $1,037,631. Team McInerney is likewise a successful family set up with wife Gail doing all the behind the scene work, while sons Jonathan and Steven (in Palmerston North) undertake a fair amount of the training duties. The kennel tasted success at the elite level with Cosmic Odette prevailing in the New Zealand Oaks at Group 1 level.
Three trainers completed the season with double tons. Matt Roberts, from his Marton base wound up having to salute the judge on 262 occasions. His kennel banked $551,386 in stake earnings. Coming in two positions behind him was his dad Craig. A late season surge by the Canterbury trainer carried him through to 209 race wins which also saw him joining the $500K plus stakes club when finishing up fifth on that table with $516,425.
Splitting the father and son in terms of winners produced was the Dave and Jean Fahey training partnership who mentored 258 winners. Once again the couple were to the fore when it came down to applying the finishing touches to Black type winners with three Group 1 winners. Leading the charge for the kennel was the highest stake earner for the season American Warrior who stashed away $130,555, the bulk of which came via his victory in the nation’s richest race, the $100,000 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup. He also helped to lift the Fahey’s kennel stakes earnings up to a tidy $846,870, placing them third overall in stakes won.
There was another nine trainers who joined the exclusive centurion club - Angela Turnwald 169, Robin Wales and Josh Lane 156, Denis Schofield 156, Ray Adcock 149, Karen Walsh 144, Gary Cleeve 130, Steve and Bonnie Evans 120, Ben Craik 119 and Malcolm Grant 113 all finished up with three figures ticked off beside their names for the term.
From left: Cosmic Odette assisted team McInerney into the runners up position on the national Trainers’ table; American Warrior carried Dave and Jean Fahey into third place in the national stakes tally; Cawbourne Brick helped Matt Roberts lead home his father Craig, who enjoyed success with Ride Ain’t Over
Trainer’s Strike Rate
A season long domination of the Addington open class 295m sprints carried Calum Weir through to land the national Trainers’ Strike Rate title. From just 16 greyhounds (168 starts) Weir trained them to win 70 races. Include 51 minor placings by them saw Weir completing the season with an impressive UDR rating of 0.5628.
There are two Group 1 races available to the short course sprinters during the season and it was Weir’s outstanding sprinter Swimming Goat who won both the Galaxy Sprint (Addington) and the Railway Sprint (Manukau). Swimming Goat’s season saw him setting a national record of 22 consecutive race wins, which was obviously a significant factor in carrying Weir to his first national trainers’ award.
Karen Walsh has consistently being sighted at the top of the Trainers’ Strike Rate table, regularly winning the title. She remained the punter’s friend throughout the season by finishing as the runner up on this occasion.
Greyhounds of the calibre of Thrilling Boris, Thrilling Raider and of course the ultra consistent chaser Timmy Trumpet assisted Walsh to her tidy UDR figure of 0.5364. The 31 greyhounds (371 races) that the Tirau based trainer placed in the traps resulted in 144 wins and 121 minor placings.
Another completely huge season was seen by Dave and Jean Fahey, who, just like in many recent seasons, landed another top three finishes in this award. The 67 greyhounds they placed a collar and lead on at the races (964 starts) saw them returning as the race winner on 258 occasions. A further 320 minor placing saw their UDR rating finish up at a respectable 0.4209 figure. American Warrior, Vikings and Opawa Shackley were among the kennel contributors.
The outstanding late season form by Ring The Bell, plus the brilliant Addington 520m chaser Tom Tee assisted Ray Adcock into fourth place with his UDR score finishing up at 0.3926 – which came from 39 greyhounds (547 race starts), 149 wins and 144 minors.
Lining up 141 greyhounds, who contested 3,145 races, resulting in 713 wins and 916 minors saw Lisa Cole completing the season in a creditable fifth possie on this table. The 0.3594 rating the kennel produced was remarkable, considering numerous Cole trained runners frequently clashed with each other.
From top left: Calum Weir and partner May Cutler with Swimming Goat who assisted him to his national Strike Rate title; Timmy Trumpet made frequent returns to the post race podium for Karen Walsh during the season; as did American Warrior for Dave and Jean Fahey. Ray Adcock’s UDR tally was shaped by his consistent greyhound Tom Tee; the Cole family was sighted dishing out collars and leads to handlers throughout the season. A strong contributor to the kennel UDR figure was the NZ Derby winner Storm Warning, see here after that victory with Brendon Cole and daughter Ella.
By Peter Fenemor
