Nancy would have been quite happy to apply the finishing touches to any of the eight stayers engaged in Monday’s Group 2 decider at the Manawatu Raceway in the 660m race named in her memory, such is the quality and depth of the field.
Pictured: Ring The Bell who set a new Manawatu 660m track record when winning his Nancy Cobain Memorial heat
NZ Greyhound Hall of Fame member Nancy Cobain was regarded as the doyen conditioner of the staying greyhounds during her outstanding training career. Mentoring five winners of New Zealand’s premier staying race, the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Collar confirms that factor.
The three compelling heats for the $15,825 Nancy Cobain Distance has brought together a fascinating field for the final (race 9, 4:57pm).
Master trainer Ray Adcock duelled with Nancy in the national training ranks during the 1980’s with both of them claiming NZ Trainer Premierships during that period. Therefore, it is entirely appropriate that Ray Adcock is the conditioner of the potent stayer and hot favourite for Monday, Ring The Bell ($1.75, TAB Final Field – option 1097).
Ring The Bell was at his powerful best when making his Manawatu track debut in his heat. Again he absolutely destroyed his rivals when winning by 15.75 lengths, recording a new track record 38.45s time. It was Ring The Bell’s twelfth win from 13 races since he crossed the Tasman.
We spoke to Ring The Bell’s race day handler Graham Tapiki about his thoughts regarding the final. “He came off the track very good, so good that he wanted to go again straight away. He’s just a machine and he has down well since being back at home. I’m not concerned about his draw (trap five) as I believe he’ll jump away quickly. He’s a great traveller, so everything is all go for the final.”
Thrilling Flo ($4.80) lined up in the second heat after just having her 660m track record (38.46s) taken away from her. She is a freewheeling pace setting stayer which was exactly the tactics she produced when delivering her 38.85s heat win for her trainer Karen Walsh. She is a reliable beginner and she can be expected to set up the pace again after hopping away from trap four.
There was plenty of anticipation surrounding Walsh’s other heat contender Thrilling Raider ($12) who was checking out a staying distance for the first time. He went into his heat as the winner of all nine of her previous 457m races on this big, spacious track. He led his heat rivals down the back straight, however he peaked on his gallop during the run home, resulting in him winding up a 5.25 length third behind Runway Bono.
There’s no doubt he would have benefited from his first staying assignment. Thrilling Raider is a noted railer, therefore he’s going to have to quickly push forward after leaping away from the eight trap. In saying that, he has won of three of his previous races when sighted wearing the pink racing vest.
The Dave and Jean Fahey prepared stayer Runway Bono ($4.50) brought winning Addington 645m staying from north with him for his heat outing. He easily made the transition to this track as seen by stylishly winning the third heat in 39.05s. He settled in third during the initial rush, a position he maintained until turning in for the long grind up the Manawatu straight.
From there he simply outstayed his opponents during the run to the judge. “I didn’t really expect him to run on like he did in his heat when he wasn’t leading – that was pleasing. I feel his draw will be okay for him and he might be able to scoop away from them early. He has come through his heat all good and he’s set for Monday,” confirmed Dave Fahey.
The three Nancy Cobain Distance heat winners (from left): Ring The Bell with handler Graham Tapiki; Deb Edlin brought Thrilling Flo back to the podium, as did Ross Mathers seen here with Runway Bono (photos by Georgie Clark)
Local trainer Bill Hodgson has every right to be excited, very excited about the future that his stayer Nitehawk Rose ($12) holds. She really caught the eye in the stylish manner she ran home in her heat when pushing the proven Thrilling Flo to a neck margin. This recent strong $11,450 457m feature race winner is compiling a respectable record over the staying distances. Don’t forget she ran a bold second behind Ring The Bell in the recent Wanganui Distance final over 755m at Group 2 level.
“Yes, she is now delivering on the ability I’ve always known she has. I was especially happy with the strong way she came home in her heat. Nothing fazes her at all and the extra distance is right up her alley. She has come through her heat really well. If I have a concern, it is her draw (trap seven), as that can be a deciding factor,” suggested Hodgson who has also qualified Molly O’Shea for Monday’s final.
She chased Ring The Bell into the first turn where she was left in clear racing air when a significant melee occurred, disrupting the balance for the field. Molly O’Shea ($51) really knuckled down to her task when leading the vain chase after the tearaway pacemaker, which now sees her rewarded being rewarded with her final field position.
“I expect her to strip as a much fitter greyhound on Monday. She definitely would have benefited from her heat run as she was underdone after I had some earlier problems with her. She was a bit heavy going into it and I reckon I’ve got her down to a better racing weight now. I am confident she will jump away okay from trap two. She has come through her heat brilliantly,” confirmed Hodgson.
Bradam Begins ($18) adds to the depth of this field as he has been required to attend the Palmerston North post race podium following all five of his 660m races at this venue. His effort in finishing stoutly for his 3.5 length heat second to Runway Bono for his trainer Angela Turnwald held a fair amount of merit after he led the chase after the pace making Thrilling Raider.
“We were very happy with his heat effort as fitness wise he was pretty much away from the mark we wanted. That gallop would have greatly helped him and he’ll be much better for it which he has come through good. He does have to begin better in that field,” advised the trainers partner Paul Freeman, who is also the Chairman of the Palmerston North club.
He has every right to be rapt with the not only the quality of the final field, but also with the club being able to frame three heats. “We took a fair bit of stick when we reduced the race distance from 766m. We have had great heats since we did that, which has justified our decision,” commented Freeman, who leads a very proactive club that continues to come up with new initiatives.
The drawn field is completed by the Matt Roberts trained Cawbourne Buckle ($26). This previous Group race staying finalist settled reasonably handy in behind Thrilling Flo from where she gamely kept on pressing on which eventuated in her finishing 4.2 lengths behind Flo. Cawbourne Buckle has a warm-up assignment on Friday evening where she will contest a 520m heat of the Waterloo Cup.
“My track at home is still out of action after flooding, so I was going to trial her, but in the end I thought I may as well give her race – hence the reason why she’s lining up on Friday. I guess you can call it a lung opener for her and I expect her to be just right come Monday. I was happy enough with her heat run where I thought she need the run. She definitely needs to be handy going into the first turn and if she is, then she has the ability to snag a place,” indicated Roberts.
Nancy Cobain Distance finalists includes (from left): Nitehawk Rose; Bradam Begins; Cawbourne Buckle
Goldstar Avery ($51) has every right to be feeling a tad miffed by having to occupy the first possie on the reserves bench for her trainers Steve and Bonnie Evans, who endured a luckless afternoon with the team of stayers they brought north. She was impeded in the first turn incident in the heat that was taken out by Ring The Bell. It was a gutsy effort by her to get to within a length of the second placed Molly O’Shea.
Pacific Sunrise ($61) is the second reserve for Marcie Flipp after was the fastest of the fourth placed heat runners when completing his task 6.5 lengths behind Runway Bono. He did show up during the early rush for positions, before settling in behind the breakaway trio of stayers in front of him.
By Peter Fenemor
