Moorak trainer Jason Newman landed his first feature race win at Sunday’s Tara Raceway meeting when kennelmates Strike Eagle and Super Cobra fought out the finish of the Sims Family Memorial Maiden (512 metres).
Super Cobra quickly found the front from box four and off the back he looked to be travelling like a winner. But his brother, Strike Eagle, after finding himself well back mid-race, stormed home to score by a neck in 30.69 seconds.
A further head away in third spot was Marie’s Angel who, after finding trouble rounding the first bend, turned in a big run for Yambuk trainer Tom Sinnott.
The winner and runner-up are by Keybow out of Velocity Lilly who is a litter sister to Jury, a multiple Group-winner who is now standing at stud with Ben Weidenbach, breeder and owner of Strike Eagle and Super Cobra.
And according to Newman, it was by pure chance that he actually came to be training the two November 2019 black dogs.
“I already had three of the litter in the kennels – Velocity Connie, Locked and Flying Fuels – so in passing when Ben mentioned he had a couple more on his property that were doing nothing I was sort of interested but had no kennel space.
“Strike Eagle had raced on a couple of occasions in the middle of last year before being returned to his owner. Super Cobra, on the other hand, hadn’t raced after failing to measure up at the pre-training stage.
“In the end I suggested to Ben that as I had a couple of injured dogs if he was interested in looking after them for a while I would have a go at getting his pair onto the track – with the Sims Maiden in mind.
“He agreed to that and as the weeks went by they just kept getting better, to the extent that by the time the race came around I thought they would be in it right up to their ears.”
This year’s extended-family support for the Sims Memorial was at an all-time high. And spokesperson Lorraine Webber once again pledged continued support for the time-honoured event.
