Sunday, November 4, 2018
Doubles to Edenhope greyhound trainer Cap Abbott, Kath Brooks of Rupanyup and Mount Moriac regular Kevin Ward highlighted last Friday’s time-graded meeting at Tara Raceway.
For Abbott it had been another busy week, his trusty red van carting greyhounds to Adelaide to race on Monday and Thursday at Angle Park prior to the trip to Mount Gambier with a couple of well-bred giveaways in Onya Jakit and Dodge Coupe.
They had found their way to Edenhope via well known Victorian greyhound identity Paul Westerveld after the pair – at the time unnamed – had undergone pre-training and considered to be not up to city standard.
Raced by long-time kennel client John Dihm, Onya Jakit, at only his third start, led all the way to defeat Lil Black Jess by 1¼ lengths in 23.95 seconds in the Laser Electrical Stake (400 metres).
By Fernando Bale, the brindle dog is out of Molly Monroe, a daughter of Bartrim Bale x Witch Fantasy and a city winner at Sandown Park, The Meadows and Hobart.
They don’t come much better bred than Dodge Coupe, a son of Kinloch Brae and Secret Spell (Bartrim Bale x Wicked Witch), Secret Spell racing on 43 occasions for 23 wins and stakemoney of more than $276,000.
A litter brother to Aston Geisha, a winner of her first five starts in Victoria, Dodge Coupe was still chasing his first win after 11 starts when lining up from box four in last Friday’s Metal Worx Stake (400 m).
And after overcoming an ordinary start, the black dog was able to find the front down the back straight, eventually running away to a 5½ length win over Ranger Bay in a more than respectable 23.50 seconds, an effort that possibly surprised even his trainer.
Both of Abbott’s winners trace back on the dam’s side to Star Witch who in 2002 raced 29 times for 17 wins and $89,000 in stakemoney.
Owners Calum and Aaron Blake continue to have a bit of fun with the Brooks-trained Fairground, Love A Chat and Hopsing – all members of a litter by Fabregas out of 16-race winner Lolly Bale which were picked up not long after they commenced racing by the brothers.
Fairground led all the way from box one in the South Eastern Hotel Stake (400 m), clocking 23.64 seconds when defeating Love A Chat by 6¼ lengths while Hopsing took over the running off the back in the Williams Crane Hire Stake (400 m), before registering a 2¼ length win over Midnight Ruby in 23.88 seconds.
Handling the trio on Friday was another Blake brother in Khris who was pretty excited after Fairground’s win but even more so after Hopsing won later in the day. “The Donkey Boys are back in town,” he exclaimed.
Last Princess led all the way in the Gambier Vets Mixed Stake (600 m) to defeat Midgey by two lengths in 36.32 seconds and bring up her fourth middle-distance win at the track for Ward.
Don’s Machine’s keenly-contested win in the Gordon Refrigeration Stake (400 m) over Don’s Just Under in 23.74 seconds was Ward’s first double since August 10 when Last Princess and Don’s Machine had previously been successful on the same day.
The meeting continued a good year at Tara Raceway for last Friday’s successful training trio with Abbott having now trained 38 winners, Brooks 24 and Ward 21.