It was back on June 1 that Bridgewater Bob, owned and trained at Berringa by Michael Niele, was successful in a heat of the monthly 400 metre time-graded Fast Forward series for greyhounds that had won between one and four races.
And given the final for this format is made up of the fastest eight runners from the heats, irrespective of their finishing positions, Bridgewater Bob was ensured a final spot – and a crack at the added prize money – when running a best of day time of 23.28 seconds.
On that occasion he defeated the speedy Gypsy Chick by three-quarters of a length but come the final a week later he enjoyed little luck in running and had to settle for fourth placing behind the Chick.
Bred at Portland by Robert Halliday, Bridgewater Bob is by Bernardo out of Spirited Bingle – a winner of 14 races at Tara Raceway and one at Angle Park in 2018-2019 when trained by Halliday. Spirited Bingle is a daughter of Collision and Kokoda Spirit, who won the 2013 SA Oaks at Angle Park.
Niele was back at Tara Raceway last Thursday for the monthly Fast Forward 400 metre series – Bridgewater Bob lining up from box five in the final heat on the back of some handy form at Ballarat over 390 metres.
Now, it has to be said, the final heat of the Fast Forward series (400 m) is always the toughest. Often it will produce more than its fair share of finalists as was the case last week in the Gambier Vets Fast Forward heat.
Niele’s black dog quickly found the front and was never headed, eventually holding out Sweet Lynette to win by 1¼ lengths in 23.49 seconds – once again the fastest of the four Fast Forward heats.
The winner and runner-up made it through to the final, as did third, fourth and fifth placegetters Cadillac Lloyd, Mjolnir To Burn and Minh Ellie.
This then left first and second in heat two – Cundare North-based Kevin Quinn’s Cosmic Leilani and Cadillac Beast – and from Hamilton, Lorraine Goodwin’s Sins To Burn, winner of heat three, to make up the eight-dog final.
Cosmic Leilani, a giveaway after breaking-in, led all the way in the Williams Crane Hire Fast Forward heat, eventually defeating Cadillac Beast by two lengths in 23.96 seconds.
By Cosmic Rumble out of Daisy Lara, a winner of 26 races in New Zealand, Cosmic Leilani’s last win had been at Tara Raceway on June 8, the same day that Sins To Burn had also last won.
In the Todd’s Photographics Fast Forward heat, Sins To Burn chased Kaniva Cadillac until to the home turn where the son of Aston Kimetto and Slew Left powered away up the home straight for a 7¼ length win in 23.64 seconds.