It was a superb Friday evening of high class Hatrick greyhound racing which featured the running of two Group race finals, along with a support card which provided quality chasing action. The atmosphere was humming all evening long with the Wanganui GRC hosted Christmas at the Races meeting being extremely well patronized.
Pictured: The thoroughly deserved Group 2 Dash For Cash winner Sheza Rippa
The $16,000 Dash For Cash 305m sprint final at Group 2 level was touted as a repeat clash between the recent $35,000 The Fitz Sports Bar Galaxy winner Sir Duggie and the Group 1 runner up Sheza Rippa. After all both of these classy short course sprinters had convincingly won their respective 305m heats the previous week.
The final didn’t unfold in the way that many had anticipated. Yes, Sheza Rippa quickly pushed forward from her one trap draw for her conditioners Dave and Jean Fahey. The Lisa Cole prepared Kathlee jumped smartly from her three trap, while her kennelmate and race favourite Sir Duggie hopped away in the midfield from the seven trap.
Sheza Rippa led into and around the bend, while it all went pear shape when rounding the turn for Cole’s sprinters. Kathlee moved out on the track, forcing the quickly improving Sir Duggie out wide, losing valuable territory and momentum in doing so.
That left Sheza Rippa in total control of the dash and she seized on the opportunity to scamper clear to nail her first Group race title by an easy six lengths. She completed her assignment in 17.32s, which was an improvement from her 17.40s heat clock.
Marcie Flipp had qualified two New Zealand bred sprinters for this final and her pair of sprinters settled in midfield positions from where both of them capitalized on the incident that occurred on the turn to push forward.
Idol Hot extended nicely which saw this daughter of Fabregas and Idol Girl stride to the line in a clear second placing. She held a two length advantage over her half brother Idol Nifty (Swift Fancy – Idol Girl) who pressed home stoutly to secure his third placing.
“It was a top class display of sprinting from Sheza Rippa. Both Sheza Rippa, Joe and the team at Punters HQ (owners) thoroughly deserved this win. Bonnie (kennel name) is a really happy good natured greyhound and a real pleasure to have in our kennels.
“Sheza Rippa had to be scratched from the New Zealand Oaks final when she was one of the favourites. She followed up her Galaxy second placing by winning the Dash For Cash with a strong sprint. Providing she checks out okay we’ll probably look at taking her up to Cambridge for the Christmas/New Year meetings,” said Dave Fahey.
Sheza Rippa has now contested 33 races and her remarkable consistency can be gauged by the 19 races she has won. Add in a further four minor placings and her career stake earnings now sits at $43.361.
It was also just reward for the breeders of the minor place getters. Opawa Racing, headed by Robin Wales and Tom Rodewald bred both of them and they jointly race the runner up Idol Hot and therefore received the Breeders’ bonus payment attached to this Group race final.
There was to be further rewards for the same training and breeding team in the following race, the Spion Rose final where Idol Dude, who is raced by Rodewald, finished a real bold third and he picked up the $1,000 bonus payment made to the Breeder/s of the first placed New Zealand bred greyhound to finish. Idol Dude is a litter brother to Idol Nifty.
“I’m in shock but also very proud of what the three of them achieved. To have three Group race placings was more than what I could have hoped for. It really pleases me for Robin and Tom, however also for Idol Girl who has been a fantastic producer for them.
“I would have never predicted that Dude and Nifty would go on and place in Group races. Both of them were ‘feral’ when they were dropped off to me. The transformation in them has been remarkable. Even Robin had admitted to me that they weren’t 50/50 dogs.
“However I guess it’s all about patience and perseverance in getting them not only to win races, but also be competitive C5 greyhounds,” advised Flipp who also suggested that the Cambridge holiday feature races is likely to be on their agendas.
Idol Girl has been a prolific producer and she is set to leave her mark on the breeding scene for a long time with a ten month old litter by Fernando Bale being the next set of puppies who will grace the nation’s tracks for her.
The Dash For Cash runner up Idol Hot (left) along with third place Idol Nifty. Their mum is the prolific producer Idol Girl (right)
Translator Outstays Kiwi Rivals to Secure NZRS Distance Title
The proven Dave and Jean Fahey trained stayer Translator was deservedly rewarded for her consistency in feature staying events when she decisively won the $12,000 NZRS Distance final over the 755m staying test last Friday evening.
Translator fronts up in all of the big ticket staying events all over the country. The miles her paws would have covered during her career would be rather remarkable when taking into account the 57 career staying races she has contested (plus 26 middle distance races).
Translator was sighted pushing forward during the early rush when wearing the black racing vest. She then switched ground when going into the first turn when getting down into her preferred rails racing passage when in the midfield at that point.
She punched forward from there to slip into the trailing position behind the pace making Opawa Racer with a lap of the track to run. She effortlessly cruised up to the pacemaker halfway down the back straight from where she seized control of the event and booted clear for her strong 6.5 length feature victory after 45.04s of hard out chasing.
Canterbury owner, trainer and breeder Gary Cleeve is a frequent attendee in NZRS races and on this occasion he accepted with a pair of his home bred stayers. Classy Witch, who is a daughter of know Class and Know Which, was only having her third staying attempt and her first over an extreme journey.
She had displayed staying potential in her two 645m races (first & second) and she confirmed that promise by finishing solidly for her second placing here. Kennelmate Know Potential is another up and coming stayer and this daughter of Bekim Bale and Know Revenge charged home late to nail her third placing another 4.75 lengths behind.
This race was all about Translator and her resounding victory and it was great to see her breeder Mark Lin, who is the manager of the owing Lin, Barry, Wee Man syndicate, bring his stayer back to the Hatrick podium following her feature race victory.
“I thought it was a great run from her, especially after she dropped back a bit when going to the rail early on. She is a professional stayer who keeps on giving it everything she has,” confirmed her co-trainer Dave Fahey about the winner of 20 races from her 83 race day assignments. She has placed on a further 15 occasions with career stake earning now sitting at $75,192 (excluding Breeders’ bonus payments).
And yes, Translator will be sighted up in the north where she will contest the Waikato hosted NZRS Distance 747m series over the Christmas/New Year period.
Translator (left) with Mark Lin following her Friday NZRS Distance win; runner up Classy Witch along with the third place Know Potential
The support card to the feature races saw competitive racing unfolding over both the 305m and 520m distances, while the action wrapped up with a strong 645m event. Here’s a pictorial round up from the other nine races during the evening.
The meeting opened up with the Jake and Daze Bell trained Polly The Dolly taking out the C3 305m sprint in 17.76s; Hip Hop Rapper led all the way for his owner & trainer the Wanganui GRC President Brian Marsh, who is seen here with co-owner Susie Kite after Hip Hop Rapper’s 17.60s C3 305m win; Cawbourne Liz is required to return to open class sprinting after handler Kim Frazer loaded her way into the one trap for her C4 305m win in 17.75s for her trainer Matt Roberts
It was a grandstand finish to the C4 520m event which saw Jinja Flash earning his open class chasing stripes when he flashed home late to snatch his 30.39s win for his delighted trainer Deb Edlin; the Bell’s were back at it again when they produced Cawbourne Mezza to easily win the C5 305m sprint in 17.48s – she is pictured here with Jake & Faze; Zou Star blasted away from the ace trap to deliver her smart 30.10s C3 520m win, carrying her army of Santa picks followers through as seen with Brendon Cole afterwards
Local trainer Errol Duganzich is enjoying a fair amount of current success with his team of greyhounds – he’s seen here along with handler Tina Duxfield and supporters with All About Space who stylishly took out the open class 520m event in 30.04s; Bigtime Eve regained her C5 racing stripes for Lisa Cole after she delivered her 17.41s C3/4 305m win; the meeting wrapped up with Allen Mack continuing on with his strong staying form by taking out the 645m event in 38.04s. Again the handling duties was undertaken by Kim Frazer as his trainer Matt Roberts was sidelined with a broken wrist suffered during a game of netball – nice one Matt!
By Peter Fenemor
