Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Monarto South owner-trainer Tony Hinrichsen will be chasing his second Tara Raceway classic when he returns to Mount Gambier on Sunday for heats of the Winter Classic (512 metres), an age-restricted series for dogs and bitches whelped on or after July 1, 2017.
Hinrichsen, who has Balboa Fury, Szubanski Fury and Stiff Upper Lip engaged in the classic, was successful in the 2016 Summer Classic with his former smart chaser Menzel Boys who defeated Cairnlea Lewis and Grimsby Girl in the final.
Unplaced in that final was Menzel Boys’ litter sister Lethal Fury, a subsequent winner of 10 races, including wins at Angle Park (515 m) and Gawler (531 m) in sub-30 seconds and sub-31 seconds respectively.
By Dyna Tron, Lethal Fury is out of Fighting Fury, a finalist in the 2011 Mount Gambier Cup won by Banger Harvey. Later, Hinrichsen mated Lethal Fury with My Bro Fabio, the resultant November 2017 litter including Balboa Fury.
Balboa Fury won his maiden over 400 metres at Tara Raceway back in April, narrowly defeating Talmage in an average 23.63 seconds although since then he has won at Angle Park (515 m) in times of 30.07 seconds and 30.28 seconds.
And at Gawler on Tuesday, Balboa Fury packed too many punches for his grade six opposition over 531 metres when he overcame a slow start before powering home for a three length win in 31.08 seconds – a time that should see him more than competitive at Tara Raceway this weekend.
Stiff Upper Lip, a daughter of Fabregas and Angle Park winner Dee Ivy, is the perfect classic age, whelped in July 2017 and a winner at Tara Raceway in March over 512 metres in 30.41 seconds.
The following month the black bitch ran Flash Jackie – winner of the Tara Trackstar in July – to less than a length when clocking a personal 30.37 seconds, a time that should put her right in the mix when she contests the second of the two heats on Sunday.
Portland trainer Nicole Stanley, still looking to make amends after Hay Miss ran a 1½ length second to Lektra Munster in the 2016 Winter Classic final, will be pinning her hopes this year on Close Your Eyes.
By Taylors Sky out of the lightly raced Lady Jasmin who won 12 races from 17 starts, the July 2017 blue bitch made her debut over 512 metres last week at Tara Raceway, clocking 30.63 seconds when running fourth behind Pa’s Chance and is sure to be improved by the run.
Penshurst trainer John Cameron also returns to Tara Raceway for the classic, bringing with him Little Queeny who has been unplaced at her only two runs at Horsham and Warrnambool.
Whelped in September 2017, the 25 kilogram Little Queeny is by the US sire KC And All out of Lektra Kelly, the 23½ kilogram pocket rocket that stormed home to grab a memorable victory over Danyo’s Tom in the Fireball, the 600 metre feature that complemented the 2016 Mount Gambier Cup.
Little Queeny, purchased as a pup by Cameron from Toolong breeder Phil Lenehan, is a litter sister to Lektra Desire, a Horsham winner on Tuesday night, as well as other Victorian winners Lektra Bear, Lektra Lyrebird and Lektra Style.
Allendale East trainer David Peckham, second with Blitz And Bolt behind Hutch in the 2017 Summer Classic, will be relying on maidens Silent Jacko and Cruising By, little separating the pair when they finished second and third respectively last week behind Pa’s Chance in a maiden/one win (512 m).
Both greyhounds are by Kinloch Brae, Cruising By serving it up early to Pa’s Chance but in the run home unable to hold off Silent Jacko for second spot, the pair running 30.44 seconds and 30.45 seconds respectively when beaten four lengths by the winner who was ineligible for the classic by virtue of his age.
Litter brothers General Max and Beat Max Bazza, who have done pretty well for trainer Dean Fennell in the short time that they have been racing, will go into the series as the youngest runners, having been whelped in January 2018.
And while the sons of Worm Burner x Miss Hodge will be giving away a bit in age this certainly won’t be the case next February when the pair will be the perfect age for the Summer Classic.