It was the Roberts father and son Group race show at the Hatrick Raceway on Friday evening. Firstly son Matt was the trainer of the the Group 2 $15,825 Dash For Cash winner Hypocritical, while 30 minutes later Craig was savouring Group 1 glory after he mentored the exciting young greyhound Allen Ablett to victory in the $45,420 Spion Rose Cup at Group 1 level.
Pictured: Allen Ablett with the Spion Rose trophy that he so strongly won on Friday
It got even better for Roberts Senior as he provided the Group 1 quinella with litter brothers Allen Ablett and Dirk Bale completing their 520m assignment in that order.
Allen Ablett quickly pushed his way up onto the early pace after leaping from the three trap. Quickly coming forward with him was Dirk Bale, while the Lisa Cole prepared Me Jane had placed herself handy when going into the first turn. The Angela Turnwald trained race favourite Agent’s Gent was last when heading into the first turn after being tardily away from the 520m traps.
Me Jane copped the shoulder of Dirk Bale and lost some forward momentum, which allowed the litter brothers to slip clear when entering the back straight. They matched their paws from that point, while back in the field American Warrior was rapidly advancing for his trainers Dave and Jean Fahey. His forward charge was halted when his hind paws were clipped and he dropped out of contention.
The superior strength owned by Allen Ablett told when he slipped clear while rounding the final turn from where he eased away to nail his 520m victory in a tidy 29.88s by a comfortable four length margin.
Dirk Bale was really gallant when he fended off the strong late finish lodged by Nature’s Gent who rattled home after having made a tardy start. There was just a head margin separating the pair.
Tucked up just in behind in the chasing pack was Bigtime Paddy, the other Cole kennel finalist. His effort in maintaining a solid gallop throughout was rewarded with the $1,000 Breeders’ prize which is awarded to the first Kiwi bred greyhound to finish in a Group 1 event. It was deserved reward for this son of Kilty Lad and Romberg Lass.
The Spion Rose quinella with winner Allen Ablett joined by his kennel and litter mate Dirk Bale. It was a team effort, with the race day handlers being (from left) Sarah Clausen, Clair Harding, Pippa Morris and the Roberts’ kennel ‘transport manager’ Bobbie Blackburn; Sarah Clausen handled runner up Dirk Bale, while Courtney Turnwald undertook the handling duties for the third placed Agent’s Gent
“It was pleasing to see the plan we prepared for them coming off,” said Roberts, which involved him sending his kennel ‘transport manager’ Bobbie Blackburn north from his Canterbury training base for three consecutive Fridays. The first occasion was to trial the brothers, along with a third member from the exciting Fernando Bale and Langi Bale litter Avenger Bale.
“Ablett is such a professional race dog, which is exciting for his future when taking into account his limited race experience. I was confident when he was in the race lead down the back – actually I had momentarily forgotten who the ‘blue’ dog (Dirk Bale) on his outer was.
“When Ablett pushed clear around the home turn, I then realized it was Dirk who had earlier been up alongside him. I was rapt with the way Dirk maintained his run as he is the weakest of the three of them during the run home. I changed his work routine, working him a lot harder than his brothers to try build up his stamina. You have to say that worked out great for him.
“Allen and Dirk can have this week off, I’ll treat them and Avenger in the same way I mapped out races for Dyna Vikkers - by picking and choosing their events. I’m keen to take the three of them up to Cambridge for the Waikato Classic heats (Group 2, December 24).
“It will be nice for them to have the opportunity of racing against dogs in their own age group, instead of taking on the older and more hardened greyhounds like they have been doing,” confirmed Roberts.
There was quite a scare for the Roberts team during their road trip north. As mentioned Bobbie Blackburn is regarded as the Roberts’ kennel ‘transport manager’ as he is regularly sighted driving the Roberts prepared greyhounds to all points of the country.
We all know about the extended travel that faces the Canterbury trainers when travelling up to make their Cook Strait ferry connections. In this instance Blackburn was stopped by one of the many road works situations he frequently faces.
Blackburn picks up the story from here where he took a hit for the team. “It was sweltering hot, so I had all the van windows opened. At one point when I was stopped a number of bees flew into the van. I panicked, worrying about the dogs getting stung. I dived into the back of the van to get them out, which I managed. None of the dogs were stung, although I got stung myself.”
Blackburn was rightfully ecstatic with the Spion Rose result. He admitted that he could barely contain himself when the litter brothers were setting up the pace. ‘Yeah, I was yelling my head off when I got told to shut up,” he chuckled. “When I saw Nature’s Gent in early trouble I knew we were a huge chance. I was rapt with the quinella result and really pleased for Craig and Paul (Wheeler). It was huge team effort by everyone involved.”
Craig Roberts mentioned his recent classy greyhound Dyna Vikkers above. The 2015 New Zealand Cup winner was just one of the many quality Group race performers that the prolific New South Wales based breeder and owner Paul Wheeler and his family has raced over the years from the Roberts kennels.
One of Craig Roberts’ proudest moments within greyhound racing came when he mentored the outstanding greyhound Dyna Vikkers to victory in New Zealand’s highest stakes race, the 2015 $100,000 New Zealand Cup.
A week later Roberts was in attendance at Melbourne’s Sandown Park track when Vikkers’ litter brother Dyna Double One stylishly won the world’s richest greyhound race, the 2015 A$600,000 Melbourne Cup.
Ironically the warm race favourite for that edition of the Melbourne Cup was Fernando Bale, who finished second. It was just after that when the highest stakes earner in Australian greyhound racing history (A$1,299,370) was retired to stud.
Fernando Bale has made an immediate impact in the Australian siring ranks. Included is this outstanding Aug 2015 whelped litter from Langi Bale, which was obviously sired while Fernando was still racing.
He has numerous high quality progeny now racing on both side of the Tasman, therefore it is a big honour for Roberts to have applied the finishing touches to the great Fernando Bale’s first Group 1 winner as sire. You can be assured, that there will be numerous other future Group winners sired by the champion greyhound.
Avenger Bake, who is a litter brother to the Spion Rose star performers Allen Ablett and Dirk Bale; Prolific New South Wales breeder and owner Paul Wheeler, pictured here with his wife Jan who is the owner of Allen Ablett, along with Craig Roberts, the champion greyhound Fernando Bale whose first Group 1 winner as a sire is Allen Ablett
By Peter Fenemor
