Thrilling Talk and Robson ensured it was a points victory to the northern region in Monday’s running of the $28,000 Total Bodyshop Supplies North Island Challenge Stakes. The Group 2 event saw four greyhounds from the lower and four chasers from the upper North Island making up the 457m field.
Pictured: Thrilling Talk with handler Taylor Thornton after his victory in the North Island Challenge Stakes (pic - Sue, Palmerston North GRC)
It was the Karen Walsh trained Thrilling Talk who was loaded away into the four trap as the warm $2.10 favourite after he produced the quickest of the four 457m heats (25.79s) held the previous Monday.
He came away from that trap alright to chase the initial pacemaker Trojan Hoarse, who was wearing the white racing vest for his conditioner Lisa Cole. The locally based kennels provided all four of the lower North Island finalists.
Thrilling Talk angled down onto the rail and in doing so he slipped underneath Trojan Hoarse. Pushing forward out wider after hopping away from the six trap was the only Australian bred greyhound in the field, the Peter Ferguson trained Robson. It was to be this trio of greyhounds who was going to contest the race finish.
Thrilling Talk turned in for the run home in control of the pace with Trojan Hoarse sitting just in behind him. Robson cut inwards down onto the rail to chase after leading pair. The line came up quick enough for Thrilling Talk who claimed his third Group race title for the current season when completing his 457m assignment in 25.82s.
Robson, who won the $28,000 Golden Chase at this venue in March, strongly punched home along the rail to close to within a half length margin of the winner. This season’s dual Group 1 winner Trojan Hoarse kicked on stoutly to hold down third just a neck further adrift, while holding a 2.5 length margin over the fourth placed Bigtime Rod.
The full Total Bodyshop Supplies North Island Challenge Stakes podium with winner Thrilling Talk flanked by runner up Robson with his conditioner Peter Ferguson, while Ella Cole brought back the third placed Trojan Hoarse – joining them is the Palmerston North President Paul Freeman - pic Sue, Palmerston North GRC; the runner up Robson and third placed Trojan Hoarse
Thrilling Talk has been a marvelously consistent greyhound throughout his career with the Gary Harding bred and owned son of Fabregas and Thrilling Ella having now won 21 races. Just like his trainer, he maintains a high winning strike rate as he has only visited the races on 30 occasions. He has placed in another seven races with his current stake earnings now sitting at a tidy $97,281 (excluding Breeders’ bonus payments).
Incidentally, the Total Bodyshop Supplies North Island Challenge Stakes final was the sixth leg of the $20,000 terminating TAB Pick6, which paid in excess of $12,000. Terminating $20,000 TAB Pick6’s will be available at all Monday Palmerston North meetings, plus also at the Sunday Manukau meetings throughout July.
