Thursday, February 8, 2018
Local owner-trainer Amanda Darmanin’s small team continues to perform well, the latest win coming at Tara Raceway last Sunday when Ruby’s Cheekstar got up in the last bound in the Greyhound-Data.com Stake (400 m) to defeat tearaway leader Jay Bee Ell.
The win was the first over the short course for the black bitch, with her breeding of Cape Hawke x Jamaican Ruby suggesting that she would be better suited over more ground as has been the case with littermates I’m A Princess and Ima Caravan.
But Ruby’s Cheekstar is also a 600 metre winner – twice at Tara Raceway – with Darmanin treating the 400 metre win as a real bonus as she builds her back up to middle-distance racing.
Sunday’s win was the first for Darmanin who purchased her in early November from breeder-owner Robert Walsh of Koroit after she had run second over 600 metres at the local track.
“After that run I asked him if he was interested in selling her,” she said. “In his typical fashion he said ‘it’ll cost you’ and from there we were able to work out a suitable arrangement.”
Ruby’s Cheekstar will line-up again on Sunday over 400 metres with Darmanin hoping to have her ready for The Tankman Grade Five 600 metre feature over the Mount Gambier Cup carnival.