“It is a surreal feeling – we actually joked about it before, then when it actually happened it was totally unbelievable,” a stunned Brendon Cole advised following the amazing three and a half hour period the Bigtime kennel enjoyed when mentoring the winners of three Group races last Thursday.
Pictured: Bigtime Paddy following his New Zealand Derby victory with co-owners Craig Rendle and Brendon Cole (right) and race sponsors Mike Stent Decorators (left)
The Group race winning spree started on their home Manawatu Raceway track where Bigtime Vanessa mastered her pace-making kennelmate Bigtime Doug during the run home to win the Group 2, 457m $15,000 Palmerston North Gold Cup.
Further up State Highway 1 at the Cambridge Raceway it was Bigtime Blackie who prevailed in what turned into an emotional victory in the $15,825 Lois Henley Memorial Trophy also over 457m at Group 2 level.
The biggie was to follow next up. Bigtime Paddy couldn’t have devised a better tactical script which he masterfully employed to clinically defeat a strong field when he dashed clear for his victory in the $45,420 Mike Stent Decorators New Zealand Derby.
NEW ZEALAND DERBY
It was a satisfying victory at the elite Group 1 level for not only the Cole kennel, but also for long time kennel client Craig Rendle who savored his first New Zealand Derby success. While the win provided trainer Lisa Cole with back to back NZ Derby wins after having mentored Storm Warning to victory in last year’s edition.
This year’s NZ Derby field was considered to be one of the strongest ever assembled. The inclusion of winners from four Group 1 races at open age level this season confirmed that factor.
It was the dual Craig Roberts-prepared Group 1 winner Allen Ablett who won the break from the five trap when the 457m traps lifted. Quickly pushing up underneath him was Shallay Pallay for Dave and Jean Fahey.
The second of the three Roberts-prepared litter brothers Avenger Bale gamely tried to hold the rail from the one trap, however in the first of his tactical moves Bigtime Paddy denied him that option when he ducked down onto the rail effectively slamming the door shut in Avenger Bale’s face by doing so. Paddy’s kennel mate Bigtime Levi had taken up midfield position, but crucially in clear racing air.
Shallay Pallay turned in for the run home holding a narrow race lead, while Bigtime Paddy held the rail advantage. Allen Ablett was in contention out wider, while the third of the litter siblings from the Roberts kennels, Dirk Bale, had improved to occupy a handy position. The balance of the talented field was in close attendance.
It was game-on from that point however seizing the initiative was Bigtime Paddy. Quite simply he proved too strong during the run home, storming to his New Zealand Derby victory by a 1.75 length margin, clocking 25.53s for his second career Group 1 victory (Waterloo Cup was his first). Paddy who is a member of the August 2015 whelped Kilty Lad and Romberg Lass secured the $1,000 Breeders’ bonus payment for being the first Kiwi bred chaser to finish in this Group 1 event.
Allen Ablett maintained his strong gallop and he was rewarded with the runner-up prize, while the winner’s kennel mate Bigtime Levi was huge when he pounded home down the outer to snatch third half-a-length behind.
A length further back it was a blanket finish for the remaining placings which saw the Ben Craik prepared Beautiful Boy storming home along the rail from an earlier rear group position to snatch his fourth placing.
“That was a terrific race by Paddy; it was almost as if he was remotely controlled. I couldn’t believe how he did that. That was no mug field he dealt to – Paddy was amazing. It is very satisfying to train the NZ Derby winner two years in row, although this one was more special because we bred, reared, broke in, co-own and train him,” a proud Brendon Cole stated.
“Levi was huge to come from where he did to run third. He is developing into a very nice dog. I still can’t get over Paddy. Actually, I feel his trip to Melbourne (Melbourne Cup heat) helped to mature him – he has risen up another level since then.”
That level offers potential, future big race successes for him which includes contesting the Group 1 Restricted Age New Zealand Breeders’ Stakes and the New Zealand Futurity series.
It is a prospect that excites his co-owner Craig Rendle, who said, “Winning the NZ Derby is very special for me, especially in association with the Cole kennel who really put in the hard yards. The Derby has been a bit of a graveyard for me, having had previously favoured runners. I guess you can say that I have served my apprenticeship in the code,” he chuckled.
Bigtime Paddy sailed through the $100K stakes earning barrier with his impressive victory taking his total to around $122,000 the result of 25 wins and 19 minor placings from his 56 race day outings.
“Lisa and I couldn’t have achieved this success without the dedicated support of our hard working, loyal staff,” a grateful Brendon Cole stated which saw the entire team enjoying a thoroughly deserved celebration bar-b-que on Good Friday.
The full Mike Stent Decorators New Zealand Derby podium; A portion of the NZ Derby winning spoils; Head shot of Bigtime Paddy following his slick prior NZ Derby win
LOIS HENLEY MEMORIAL TROPHY
Bigtime Blackie had never been sent over the 457m race distance prior to contesting the $15,825 Lois Henley Memorial Trophy series. Her heat effort indicated that she would have derived benefit from her first taste of a longer trip.
She duly confirmed those thoughts by pushing forward after initially jumping in the midfield to come up handy to the early pace being set by kennelmate, Bigtime Mia, who had sprung away nicely from the one trap. She was joined by the freewheeling No Time Toulouse while the warm race favourite Quistis Bale occupied the midfield for her conditioner Matt Roberts, along with the Thayne Green-prepared Classy Impact.
The in front chasing action changed appreciably nearing the completion of the big, sweeping Cambridge turn. We saw Bigtime Blackie cutting down underneath No Time Toulouse, while Bigtime Mia went AWOL when she ducked out wider on the track.
Bigtime Blackie accepted the clear racing passage presented to her which saw this daughter of Cosmic Rumble and Allegro Star set sail towards judge Tommy Thompson. She completed her 457m assignment with ease ultimately scoring by a 2.25 length margin, returning 25.69s for her assignment.
Delivering the race of her career and completely stunning her trainer was the renowned northern short-course sprinter Classy Impact. She also stepped up in race distance and she did so with aplomb by boldly nailing her second placing. Classy Impact came into season the following morning however her effort certainly wasn’t lost on her trainer when he said, “Never did I consider her as a 457m dog – she’ll be racing over it she returns to racing.”
Bigtime Mia balanced up from her earlier outwards movement to pressed on stoutly for her third placing just a quarter of a length behind, while fending off the solid finish delivered by the fourth placed Quistis Bale by a half length margin.
“What really pleased me and making it really emotional for us was winning Lois’s race. Lois and her husband Peter provided us with a heck of a lot of support and freely provided us with their vast array of knowledge when Lisa and I decided to go into full time greyhound training,” advised Brendon Cole about the race that recognized the long time administrator at both regional and national levels. “Lois was also a massive help for us when my brother Denis passed away. She took over and looked after all of the arrangements for him.”
“Blackie has been building up nicely for this race and I was reasonably confident of a strong showing by her which she duly delivered. You can’t fault her performance whatsoever on that effort. She does have ability and she had been building nicely up to that race distance.”
Bigtime Blackie has now faced the starter on 53 occasions, resulting in 14 wins and 15 minor placings adding up to around $33,000 in stake earnings. That excludes the additional Breeders bonuses like her Group race payment for being the first Kiwi bred chaser to finish, which also coincided with her bonus for her first career middle distance race win – a nice tidy collection of breeders payments.
The full Lois Henley Memorial Trophy podium with representatives from the Henley family; Winning owner Brendon Cole with Peter Henley and Bigtime Blackie
PALMERSTON NORTH GOLD CUP
Bigtime Vanessa kick started what turned in to a memorable three and a half hour period for local trainer Lisa Cole. She was racing on her home Manawatu Raceway track in the second edition of the $15,000 Palmerston North Gold Cup, which is a tri-code celebration of racing for the city of Palmerston North.
Bigtime Vanessa had been rebuilding her race fitness since resuming racing following a seasonal spell. Last Thursday evening she was loaded away into the 457m five trap, which wasn’t expected to overly faze her owing to her desire to race in the middle of the track.
Handle it she did! She fairly pinged away from the five trap to take up the early race lead. Sure that lead was short lived as her kennel mate Bigtime Doug quickly punched forward after jumping from trap one to take control of the pace.
Settling handy to the pace was another Cole trained runner Bigtime Flyer, while the Angela Turnwald prepared Arden Emgrand was in contact with the pace. Bigtime Doug used his known sprinting prowess which saw him leading the Group 2 field until half way up the home straight.
That was when Bigtime Vanessa pounced which she did emphatically as she quickly built what turned into a comfortable two length winning margin. She completed her assignment in 26.02s. Bigtime Doug was brave when he gamely clung on for a kennel quinella when holding Arden Emgrand at bay by three-quarters of a length with the same margin back to the fourth placed Bigtime Flyer.
“Vanessa was spot on – her recent racing had her nicely hardened and ready for a strong 457m race. She came away from the traps like a rocket. Once she was handy to the pace I was reasonably confident she would prove to be the strongest of our runners,” confirmed Brendon Cole.
It was Bigtime Vanessa’s 13th career win and after adding in a further 18 minor placings sees her stake earnings hovering around $43,500 from her 52 race day outings. And with Bigtime Doug finishing second ensured that this son of Cosmic Rumble and Allegro Star contributed the first of what turned into three bonus New Zealand bred Breeders’ Group race bonus payments for the Bigtime breeding operation.
Bigtime Vanessa following her Palmerston North Gold Cup victory; Full Palmerston North Gold Cup Podium (photo by Royden Williams); Palmerston North Gold Cup Presentation to Lisa Cole's team with trophy sponsor Kevin Pratt (photo by Royden Williams)
By Peter Fenemor
