There has been competitive feature racing sighted in all three regions over the last week. Last Thursday the Kiwi bred open class chasers were in action at Cambridge, while a time honoured Christchurch 520m feature event was decided and there was a ripper of a finish to the Manawatu Cup on Monday along with two Nancy Cobain 660m heats. The NZ Cup & Galaxy Preludes looms and Dyna Weslyn is about to commence a Melbourne campaign
Pictured: Dirk Bale cruising to his strong Robinson Rosebowl victory (pic Dave Robbie)
$12,000 NZRS Advanced Final – Cambridge Raceway, Thursday October 11
It was an interesting blend of Kiwi bred greyhounds who paraded to the Cambridge Raceway 457m traps to contest their $12,000 NZRS Advanced Final. The field was a mix of greyhounds who were bred and commenced their racing careers in all three racing regions in the country. The result saw Breeders bonus dollars being distributed to those three regions. It was also a successful result for a northern based kennel.
It was the Hayley Mullane prepared Bigtime Jason who hopped away smartly from the one trap and he was quickly joined in a pace making dual by Vikings who is now mentored by Emma Potts. Abruptly clearing traffic in behind this pair was the second of the three Mullane trained contenders in this event Noah Who.
Bigtime Jason, who is a member of the handy December 2014 whelped Cosmic Rumble and Darlyne Ottey litter, took control the race when turning in for the run home up the long Cambridge straight. He dug in real deep as the former Canterbury trained Vikings (Barcia Bale – Jinja Power) really knuckled down to his task within sight of the judge Tommy Thompson.
Bigtime Jason held on gamely to claim the event after 26.01s of chasing by a three quarter length margin over a gallant Vikings. Noah Who (Piggy Back – Noah Who) extended nicely during the run home to claim his third placing a length and a half further behind after he was involved in a fair degree of jostling.
It is the Bigtime kennels who was rewarded with the winning Breeders bonus pay out as the Lisa Cole and Craig Rendle owned chaser was bred and commenced his racing career there, prior to transferring north into the Mullane kennels. Bigtime Jason has been an ultra consistent greyhound throughout his 107 race career. This victory was his 18th and after adding in another 34 minor placings sees his stake earnings now sitting at a tidy $62,326.
Bigtime Jason is flanked on the Waikato podium by Vikings and Noah Who. All three greyhounds are trained at Hayley Mullane training base & here’s Hayley along with Chloe Watson looking delighted with Bigtime Jason’s victory
$7,500 Kolorful Kanvas Robinson Rosebowl – Addington Raceway, Thursday October 11
The current Auckland Cup title holder Dirk Bale has proven to be a lethal greyhound when he’s sighted wearing the red racing vest having carried it to victory on the four previous occasions he has worn it. He was assigned the one trap to leap away from in last Thursday’s running of the $7,500 Kolorful Kanvas Robinson Rosebowl. The Craig Roberts trained greyhound was deadly at trap rise when he pinged straight into the race lead. Dirk Bale was never headed afterwards.
He dictated the pace to his rivals when he scampered through his 520m heat assignment in 30.20s holding a 2.75 length margin at the judge. Roberts had been expected to dominate this time honoured annual feature event after accepting with five runners and he duly did so with his kennel providing the two minor placings.
Dyna Dave had settled back in the field during the initial rush for positions. He slowly, but surely improved his field position all the way and he extended strongly during the run home to claim the runners up prize. In doing so he cut out of that placing Dyna Monty by a length who had led the chase after the freewheeling pacemaker.
The victory lifted Dirk Bale’s career stake earnings to an impressive $131,275. He has maintained a 50 percent winning strike rate with this win being his 21st from his 42 race day outings. He has placed on a further seven occasions for his owner Jan Wheeler.
It was a crowded Addington podium with representatives from race sponsor Kolorful Kanvas attending; Robinson Rosebowl winner Dirk Bale flanked by his kennel mates runner up Dyna Dave and third placed Dyna Monty - pics supplied by Dave Robbie – drobbie91@gmail.com – 021 607 869 for all your South Island race photos
$6,500 Outback Trading Company Manawatu Cup & Group 2 Nancy Cobain 660m heats – Manawatu Raceway Monday October 15
It sure was a grandstand finish to Monday’s $6,500 Outback Trading Company Manawatu Cup. The field was completely dominated greyhounds prepared from the local Lisa Cole kennels who had seven of the eight drawn runners.
It was the 40-1 rank outsider Bigtime Caleb who showed up during the early rush and he held a narrow lead with the balance of the field being in close attendance. They were still in a real bunch when swinging around the big, sweeping Palmerston North turn where the only kennel “outsider” Monster Fish briefly took the race lead for his trainer Angela Turnwald.
Bigtime Caleb refused to flinch and he maintained a gutsy run right to judge Jack Cooper in what turned into a real blanket race finish. It took an age for the final final placings to be confirmed. The reason was the barest of margins being declared with Bigtime Caleb holding on for his biggest career victory.
Bigtime Vanessa had fairly rocketed home and she came up just that nose short. Kennelmate Djay Dynamix was right in line and he completed the Cole occupied podium being just a half length further behind.
Bigtime Caleb has now been to the races 93 times. This son of Collision and Darlyne Ottey has returned as the winner of 19 of those races, while he has secured a further 27 minor placings. That all adds up to $52,589 in stake earnings for his owners Lisa Cole and Craig Rendle.
Brendon Cole with the upset Manawatu Cup winner Bigtime Caleb (pic Palmerston GRC)
Group 2 Nancy Cobain Distance heats
Two 660m heats decided the finalists for the running of the Nancy Cobain Distance at Group 2 level next Monday. It is the race that remembers that outstanding conditioner of the staying greyhounds after Nancy trained the winner of five Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Collars.
First up we saw the talented Don’t Knocka Gee from the Lisa Cole kennels who was installed as the hot $1.30 race favourite. She gave her army of supporters no concern whatsoever and she was in cruise control throughout when taking out this heat by a comfortable 8.5 length margin. Her 38.49s time was a ripper with it being just 0.04 of a second outside Ring The Bell’s 660m track record.
Incidentally Don’t Knocka Gee’s litter sister to Sky Waves who is one of the race favourites for Saturday’s inaugural running of the $1,000,000 to the winner of the Ladbroke’s Million Chase final on Sydney’s Wentworth Park (race 7, 10.40pm NZT). She has drawn nicely in trap two.
Gray Bale really stepped up to the mark when he gamely chased after the pacemaker to book his final field position for his trainer Matt Roberts. The Ray Adcock prepared Perfect Result will also return for the final after he charged home late just a nose behind. He will take a great benefit out of his track debut outing here. The remaining qualifier from this heat was the Angela Turnwald prepared Mija Sydney, while Quistis Bale will occupy the second possie on the reserves bench for the final.
The Karen Walsh trained Dusty Gambler was also a red hot favourite when he was loaded away into the seven trap paying $1.20 for the win in the second heat. He settled back in the six dog field from where he proceeded to pick off his rivals one by one until he secured the race lead when rounding the final bend. From there he cleared out for his comfortable 4.25 length heat win, clocking 38.63s.
Argus Filch also made up a considerable slice of ground for Turnwald and he punched home solidly to nail his second placing and he held a similar margin over the third placed Bigtime Lonestar from the Gary and Sandra Frederickson kennels. Mark Goodier produced Bigtime Chloe to claim the fourth placing just a further half a length astern. Allen Mack set up the pace for a long way but he peaked on his gallop during the run home which now sees him being the finals first reserve for Roberts.
Nancy Cobain Distance heat winners were Don’t Knocka Gee with Brendon Cole, while Karen Walsh is with her heat winner Dusty Gambler - pics Palmerston GRC
NZ Cup & Galaxy Sprint Preludes plus Dyna Weslyn to Commence Melbourne Campaign
The Christchurch GRC has introduced a series of preludes which provides an exemption to the first two greyhounds to finish in the Christchurch Casino NZ Cup Prelude plus the The Fitz Sports Bar Galaxy Sprint Prelude from having to contest heats for both Group 1 races.
The greyhounds who finish in the first two placings are guaranteed direct entry into their respective semi finals, therefore being able to bypass the heats for both features. The same exemption applies to prelude races to be held at the Hatrick Raceway (Friday) and the Manukau Stadium (Sunday) with another set of preludes being scheduled at the Addington Raceway next Thursday. The connections of the first two placed greyhounds in any prelude at any venue are under no obligation to take up their exempt positions.
Craig Roberts has crossed the Tasman with his exciting stayer Dyna Weslyn and he is basing himself in Melbourne. He had been hoping to secure a final field position for the October 27 running of the A$75,000 to the winner TAB Topgun Stayers Invitation, however Dyna Weslyn missed final field selection for the Group 2 725m The Meadows hosted event.
“Yeah, it’s disappointing Weslyn didn’t make the final cut, however I’m lining her up in the Hume Cup heats (600m Meadows) on Saturday night. She trialled over 525m at The Meadows on Saturday – she was slow early, then she flew during the run home.
“I expect her to be outpaced early on Saturday then for her to come home strongly. After that we’ll box on from there with the Bold Trease heats (Sandown 715m) being her major target,” advised Roberts. The Hume Cup is a Group 1 event over 600m and the final is decided on the eve of the Melbourne Cup (Monday, November 5).
The recent Addington 645m track record holder Dyna Weslyn and with her trainer Craig Roberts who are currently based in Melbourne (pics Dave Robbie)
By Peter Fenemor
