Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Edenhope greyhound trainer Cap Abbott’s long-time successful partnership with WA-based owner John Dihm continued at Tara Raceway on Sunday when Spinning Jakit opened his winning account in the Klaassens Contractors Maiden Stake (512 metres).
Having only his fourth race start and on the back of a promising fourth placing at Angle Park several nights earlier, the November 2016 black dog looked pretty impressive when defeating kennelmate Dodge Coupe by nine lengths in a more than respectable 30.13 seconds.
By Spring Gun out of Lektra Scarlett, Spinning Jakit, after being broken-in and advertised on Greyhound-Data, was picked up by bush chaplain Dihm from Toolong breeder Phil Lenehan who was also looking to move on a litter brother as well.
“At the time they were back in the paddock, John opting to take the well-bred pair after being told by Phil that he should have a bit of fun with them,” Abbott said.
The partnership opted to race one each of the then unnamed pair, Abbott’s dog now racing as Black Spring and having already won two 512 metre races at Tara Raceway including a 30.11 seconds success over last Sunday’s sub-30 second winner Slipper’s Away.
Abbott had just about given up on Dodge Coupe, a giveaway greyhound with a Rolls-Royce pedigree, but now concedes there could be a win in the black dog after his second consecutive minor placing.
A litter brother to Aston Geisha, unbeaten at her only five starts at The Meadows and Bendigo, Dodge Coupe is by Kinloch Brae out of Secret Spell, a winner of 23 races and $276,000 in stakemoney.
It would have been a good trip back home on Sunday for Koroit owner-trainer Robert Walsh and Peter Fulton of Ecklin South who travelled over together with subsequent winners Ima Caravan and Noosa Parade.
For Walsh’s Ima Caravan, who chased Ginny Woolf early in the Winningformula.net.au Mixed Stake (600 m) before taking over off the back and running out a five length winner over Joshy Wink Wink, it was his first success since winning at Sandown Park four months ago.
A winner of 13 races, the son of Cape Hawke and Jamaican Ruby – also bred by Walsh – is from a pretty handy litter which also includes the now-retired I’m A Princess who won more than $30,000 in stakemoney.
And while Ima Caravan’s winning time last Sunday of 35.67 seconds was well outside his personal best of 35.15 seconds, Walsh wasn’t the least bit concerned.
“I’m just happy he won,” he said.
After the Fulton-trained Mick’s Advice had won at The Meadows on the previous Saturday night, he would have been hoping for a big weekend with Noosa Parade looking well placed in a grade five 512 metre event the next day at Tara Raceway.
But the son of Collision and Miss Black Fern, chasing his first win in six months in the Produce Store Stake, fell on the first turn.
Back a week later, Noosa Parade, this time looking even better placed from box one in a grade five event, appeared to have the job ahead of him when mid-field down the back while Brinza was bowling along like a winner out in front.
However, the black dog, obviously showing no ill effects from the previous week, loomed large on the home turn before railing through to score a big win, albeit by only a neck, over Addison’s Way and Brinza in 30.11 seconds.
Fulton, as had been the case with his travelling companion earlier in the day, was delighted with Noosa Parade’s overdue win.
“He just loves this place,” said the beaming 23-year-old trainer.
Meanwhile, Jamaican Ruby’s second litter – by Banjo Boy – was whelped in February 2018 by the Fulton family, Walsh now hoping for further success down the track with the breed through a couple of the pups that he owns.