Last Friday’s Cambridge action was chocker full of quality support card feature racing over three different race distances which provided the back up to the feature Group 2 $20,825 Farmlands Hatupu Waikato Classic decider.

Pictured: Thrilling Billy who was one of three winners prepared by local trainer Peter Ferguson during Friday’s huge Cambridge feature meeting. He’s seen here with his daughter Amy along with Lucas and Clio

Here’s a look back at those feature race events.

$11,455 NZ Racing Series Distance final
Electric Lotto couldn’t have picked a better time to jump straight into the race lead for the first time ever in her 40th race day outing for her conditioner Peter Ferguson and her owner Greg Hore. It was a wise tactic that this renowned slow starter adopted from the 747m traps when sighted wearing the red racing vest.

This daughter of Texas Gold and Trident Lotto defied her seven staying rivals to run her down – they couldn’t even though after 43.08s of hard out intense chasing, the race finish turned into a torrid affair. She thrived in her pace making role when pushed on a number occasions by the Robin Wales prepared race favourite Opawa Racer who came up a head short.

Electric Lotto was real gutsy when she repelled those challengers lodged by Canterbury trained and bred stayers when last season’s Plasterboard Duke of Edinburgh Silver Collar fourth place finisher continued to dig deeply into her stamina reserves, especially when the son of Winsome Opawa and Opawa Andre, Opawa Racer lodged that strong finish.

It was huge effort posted by the third place Peekay Shout after she had settled a long way behind the early pace. This daughter of Velocette and Opawa Peekay then maintained a sustained gallop that saw her improving her field position throughout to finish a further 1.25 lengths behind for Wales. Opawa Plum (Barcia Bale – Opawa Secret) from the Dave and Jean Fahey kennels was cut out of third during the run home when winding up another 1.75 lengths back in fourth.

It was a real tenacious victory by Electric Lotto and it was entirely appropriate that the race presentation was made by another local trainer Arch Lawrence who had previously dominated staying races throughout the country with his team of outstanding home bred stayers. He had prepared super stayer Shandell to win last year’s edition of this NZRS Distance final.

Electric Lotto has now been presented at the races on 40 occasions with those outings having yielded her with six wins, nine minor placing and $16,857 in stake earnings. Both Peter and Wendy Ferguson have made really strong starts to training greyhounds and this victory was the biggest in their training roles to date.

“We had been targeting this race for her for a quite a while, however it was hard with no suitable lead in staying races for her. We nominate her for staying races every week. We had to back our judgement in her readiness for the race and we are rapt to have won it, especially as it is our biggest training win.

“Electric Lotto is a true race dog and yes I was just as surprised as anyone when she jumped first. I can assure you it was a long way watching her when not sure if her condition would hold out. She did prove she’s a natural stayer, particularly when she got challenged,” advised Peter Ferguson.

  
$11,455 NZ Racing Series Distance final podium with race winner Electric Lotto being flanked by runner up Opawa Racer and third placed Peekay Shout; Attending with Electric Lotto was (from left); Danny Laing, Wendy Ferguson, Greg Hore, Peter Ferguson, Dylan Ferguson, Jamie Pruden and sitting on the podium is Lucas Bunyan; it was a great night for local trainer Peter Ferguson who mentored three winners – he is seen here with his daughter Amy after Tullabung Googar stylishly won his first Cambridge race

$10,245 Waikato Provincial Cup Final
Local trainer Karen Walsh had qualified half the drawn field for this annual rich local 457m provincial feature final. She scratched one of them, but she still wound up providing three of the first four placings.

It was the Lisa Cole prepared Allegro Gun who won the break from the six trap however he was stalked into the first turn by the talented Ridin’ Shotgun. It was all over as a contest at that point when Ridin’ Shotgun railed through underneath the pacemaker to take control of the event.

He was tracked through by the Matt Roberts trained Quistis Bale while back in the field the ever resilient Timmy Trumpet was improving his field position. It was Ridin’ Shotgun who stamped his authority over his opponents as he scampered clear to nail his feature race win by a comfortable three length margin, clocking 25.48s for his assignment.

Quistis Bale maintained her strong gallop to claim the runner’s up prize while the winners kennel mate Timmy Trumpet boldly pressed on stoutly for his third placing just a length further astern. Another kennel mate Thrilling Raider completed his outing in fourth another 1.25 lengths behind.

For Ridin’ Shotgun it was a continuation of his sound form since he commenced his career having now occupied the post race podium in all 13 of his races – ten of them standing on top of it. That has now carried his stakes earning up to $25,671.

 
$10,245 Waikato Provincial Cup Final winner Ridin’ Shotgun with Karen Walsh, plus he’s also pictured here with the minor place getters Quistis Bale and Timmy Trumpet

$6,000 Denis Cole Memorial Waikato Sprint Final
Unfortunately it was a depleted field that was loaded away into the Cambridge 375m traps for the annual $6,000 Denis Cole Memorial Waikato Sprint final. Jumping from the ace trap was the warm race favourite, the Karen Walsh prepared sharp sprinter Danny Dee.

He made a swift start from that trap and he was never seriously challenge afterwards when the $1.30 race favourite scampered through his dash to record his 20.94s win. He completed his task by holding a comfortable 2.5 length margin over his rivals.

Hypocritical had jumped in the back end of the six dog field for his trainer Matt Roberts. The recent Group 2 Dash For Cash winner improved his field position rounding the turn from where he set off after the tear away pacemaker. He was bold when claiming the runner’s up prize. Finishing stoutly a further two lengths behind to nail the third placing was Bigtime Jane for Lisa Cole. She cut out of third the winner’s kennel mate Zipping Gabby by half a length.

For Danny Dee it was his career win number twelve which came in his 26th race start. Seven further minor placings now sees his stakes earning tally standing at $19,508. It is a set of figures that he looks likely to quickly improve further on.

 
$6,000 Denis Cole Memorial Waikato Sprint Final winner Danny Dee with handler Jen Bartlett, flanked by runner up Hypocritical and third placed Bigtime Jane

$6,000 Ollie & Hazel Lawrence Maiden Series Final
It was an incident packed final for the $6,000 Ollie & Hazel Lawrence Maiden Series which saw a number of contenders, including the hot race favourite Opawa Purdie, losing all claims during a melee which occurred when the field was entering the first turn.

Slipping through underneath the skirmish was Thrilling Major for Karen Walsh and that was all he needed as he strongly railed up under the pacemaker and cleared out to claim the nation’s richest greyhound race by a convincing five lengths, clocking 26.02s.

It was the Thayne Green prepared Hitch A Ride who led around the turn and he gamely stuck to his task to kick on stoutly for his second placing. It was a big effort by Bigtime Tears from the Lisa Cole kennels, who after settling in the rear group, finished powerfully to snatch the third placing a further 1.75 lengths behind and a head in front of Fancy Fox for Denis Schofield.

For Karen Walsh it was another successful evening for her Tirau based kennel, with her training three of the feature race winners. She has tasted previous success in this rich Maiden final, which off course was the series that launched the brilliant stayer Thrilling Brat’s career.

 
$6,000 Ollie & Hazel Lawrence Maiden Series Final Thrilling Major and with his conditioner Karen Walsh plus also along with course compare Tommy Thompson who celebrated his birthday during the evening

By Peter Fenemor