Wednesday, December 26, 2018
It all started at Tara Raceway last Friday, Edenhope trainer Cap Abbott confidently predicting – as only he can – a treble for his in-form kennel at the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s Christmas meeting.
Ultimately, he had to settle for a double – Spinning Jakit the one to miss out – although the wins of Black Spring in the South Eastern Hotel Mixed Stake (600 metres) and Big Casey in the Produce Store Stake (512 m) couldn’t have been more impressive.
By Spring Gun out of Lektra Scarlett, a Victorian city-winning stayer that won her last race back in September 2013 over 650 metres at Shepparton as a $44 chance, Black Spring quickly settled in third spot and was always going to be hard to beat.
Chasing his first middle-distance win at Tara Raceway, the odds-on Black Spring took up the running from Destini Montana off the back, eventually striding out to a 3¾ length win over Ethics in a quick 35.17 seconds.
Big Casey was lining up for his second run in the space of five days, the 38 kilogram (he once raced at 41 kilograms) black dog successful over 515 metres at Angle Park on the previous Monday night when giving Abbott his first win with the son of My Bro Fabio x Book Of Days.
And it was another win for the week for Big Casey after he found the front going out of the first turn on Friday before confidently running away with the grade five event, defeating Azumi Striker by 6¼ lengths in a smart time of 29.84 seconds.
Three nights later Abbott was at Angle Park with his Tara Raceway winning pair for the city club’s Christmas Eve meeting – Big Casey to tackle the Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer final (515 m) and Black Spring to make his debut over 731 metres in the Yuletide Mixed Stake.
Big Casey quickly put himself in the race from box two, settling in third spot before finishing strongly in the home straight to defeat Launching by 4¾ lengths in 30.12 seconds and bring up his third win in the space of a week for owners John Dihm and Craig Sheridan.
The win also completed a good night for the litter after Big Casey’s 33 kilogram sister Book Of Luck, trained at Ballalaba by Sheridan, won the Ladbrokes Christmas Cup final (630 m) at Nowra.
A couple of races later at Angle Park, Black Spring had no trouble in accounting for his three rivals over the stayers’ journey, winning by 6¼ lengths in 43.75 seconds – another double for Big Casey and Black Spring, following on from Friday’s effort.
Also, with one time-graded meeting still remaining this Sunday, 45 winners at Tara Raceway in 2018 for Abbott – his best year ever.
Black Spring’s win on Monday night was also the second leg of a double for the litter, Lektra Theory, now owned in SA and trained by Tony Rasmussen, winning a 515 metre grade six heat by 12¾ lengths in a best of night 29.72 seconds.
The Abbott-owned Black Spring, and his litter brother, Spinning Jakit, owned by Dihm, found their way to Edenhope back in early October after having been pre-trained in Melbourne.
“John (Dihm) came across the pair advertised as giveaways on the internet so we thought they might be worth a go,” Abbott said.
“Neither of them have a lot of early pace but they finish their races off well. With Black Spring already a winner of five races and Spinning Jakit having won two races at Tara Raceway we’re having a bit of fun with them.
“And Big Casey came from NSW in late November after winning at Goulburn and Bulli. He’s racing really well since relocating so maybe I can now get Craig to send down Book Of Luck.”