Bigtime Paddy has been in super season long form and that factor was strongly illustrated in the professional manner that the Lisa Cole mentored greyhound delivered his 29.99s 520m NZRS Advanced victory at the Hatrick Raceway on Friday evening.
Pictured: Bigtime Paddy won his 29th race for the season when he won Friday’s NZRS Advanced final
It was a moderate start from the five trap made by Bigtime Paddy which saw him heading into the first turn racing on the outer of his kennel mate Bigtime Wendle. The anticipated outward movement by Bigtime Wendle didn’t occur partly because Bigtime Paddy firmly held his racing line.
Meanwhile it was Bigtime Tears who had accelerated into the race lead when rounding that first turn. Entering the back straight saw Bigtime Paddy making his winning move when he cut down onto the rail. Meanwhile improving his field position from an early midfield position was the only non Cole trained finalist Idol Tom for his conditioner Marcie Flipp.
It was all Bigtime Paddy when rounding the final turn and this son of Kilty Lad and Romberg Lass maintained his strong gallop during the run home to nail his 29th race win for the 2017/18 season by a length margin for his owners Lisa Cole and Craig Rendle. It also means that Brendon Cole joins them in the $3,000 Breeders’ bonus payment attached to this NZRS final.
The Group 1 winning Bigtime Tears (Fabregas Marlisa) kicked on solidly for her second placing, while Idol Tom (Fabregas – Idol Girl) was bold when he wound up in third a further two lengths behind. There was another 3.5 lengths back to the fourth placed Bigtime Twinkle (Fabregas – Allegro Star).
Bigtime Paddy protected his 29.92s leading Hatrick 520m time for the Formpro Amazing Chase and with a week left in the qualifying period he looks set to complete his outstanding season by contesting a match in the July 27 $60,000 final.
Bigtime Paddy, who this season has won two Group 1 races and was the runner up in two other Group 1 races, heads into his Monday afternoon Manawatu 457m assignment as the winner of 38 races. He has placed on a further 22 occasion, while his 74 career races has yielded him with a handsome $168,119 in stake earnings (excluding Breeders’ bonus payments).
A selection of pics from the hugely successful season that Bigtime Paddy is currently enjoying
Bigtime Paddy’s impressive season stats has already guaranteed him both the points decided NZ Middle Distance and the NZ Bred Greyhound of the Year titles for the season and obviously he’s a major contender for the ultimate award, the 2017/18 New Zealand Greyhound of the Year title which will be presented during the code’s awards evening in Hamilton on October 13.
For Lisa Cole, Bigtime Paddy contributed to the six training successes she enjoyed during the evening, which now extends her season training record out to 774 winners, leaving her with two weeks left to prepare another 30 winners as she hunts down the national trainers’ record of 803 winners produced by John McInerney in the 2011/12 season.
By Peter Fenemor
