“Levi came out running and I knew then the others wouldn’t catch him,” commented Brendon Cole after Bigtime Levi quickly stepped away from the five trap to put the result of the $15,825 Kamada Park North Island Challenge Stakes out of the reach of his seven kennelmates.
Pictured: Bigtime Levi with handler Jess Cole along with Kamada Park race sponsor representative Chris Allen after the running of Tuesday’s Kamada Park North Island Challenge Stakes (pic Georgie Clark, Palmerston North GRC)
Yes, the comment above about Bigtime Levi’s seven kennelmates is correct as the Lisa Cole kennel amazingly provided all eight greyhounds who contested this Group 2 457m final.
Bigtime Levi had to rely on the only non Cole trained greyhound in the listed ten dogs for this event to be scratched to take his place in the field. That occurred with the injury enforced withdrawal of the Karen Walsh prepared Ridin’ Shotgun who had been allocated the five trap.
Bigtime Levi has certainly improved his starting manners over recent weeks. It would be fair to say that earlier in his career he was a “walker” from the traps. He then relied on his strong finish which he had been using effectively during his charge up through the grades.
Bigtime Levi’s green and white racing vest was the first sighted as he bounded clear ensuring that he was going to secure the thick end of the stake for the Cole’s. As commentator Mark Rosanowski described when calling him home, “Levi comes from off the ballot and he scores”.
The professional greyhound and race favourite Bigtime Paddy made a moderate start from the eight trap. He pressed forward, gliding up to No Time Toulouse who had made her normal smart beginning from trap even. Bigtime Paddy slipped around her when rounding the big, sweeping turn and cut down onto the rail to set off after the pacemaker.
Meanwhile back in the field Lunch Special, who the slowest to exit from the traps, took up the vacated rails racing passage left as anticipated by Bigtime Vanessa who was carrying the red racing vest as she veered out to centre track. He kicked through along the rail to place himself into a podium position while racing around the bend.
Bigtime Levi wasn’t wasting anytime up front and he maintained his sharp gallop when landing his biggest career victory in a more than handy 25.75s. Bigtime Paddy was his usual consistent self when claiming second 1.75 lengths behind him, while holding a 2.75 length advantage over the third placed Lunch Special. No Time Toulouse gamely stuck to her task, being the next to arrive home.
“They were all a good bunch of dogs in that field and we were very proud to be able to provide the whole field. Bigtime Levi has always been a good dog – he ran third in the New Zealand Derby (won by Bigtime Paddy). In other words he’s no slouch.
“I feel it has been racing experience that has helped him to start his races better lately. Earlier he hadn’t been reacting as fast as others at the start, however he starting pinging away around five or so races ago,” commented Brendon Cole who also pocketed the Breeders’ bonus payment attached to the Group race with this September 2015 whelped son of Spring Gun and Bigtime Karen obviously being the first New Zealand bred greyhound to finish.
Bigtime Levi, along with his other New Zealand bred kennelmates, now heads into Friday’s round of the $45,420 New Zealand Breeders’ Stakes heats at Group 1 level over 520m at the Hatrick Raceway. He will exit from the six trap in the second NZ Breeders’ heat (race 7) as the winner of $70,243, the result of 19 wins and 22 minor placings from his 55 race day starts.
He also became the 704th winner from the Cole kennel for the season and the entire $15,825 stake from the Kamada Park North Island Challenge Stakes lifted the kennel season stakes earning tally to just on $1,750,000.
The entire Group 2 “Big Time” Kamada Park North Island Challenge Stakes field trained by Lisa Cole (pic Georgie Clark, Palmerston North GRC)
By Peter Fenemor
