How the greyhounds ran: Reviewing the week that was
Peter Fenemor • October 21st, 2024 2:50 PM
The focus of attention for the greyhound code is firmly centered on the Addington Raceway with the rapidly approaching rich Springston Hotel New Zealand Cup meeting looming.
Last Thursday we witnessed the outstanding greyhound He’s All Go continue to build on his imposing race record when adding career win number 28 in his 33rd race. He controlled the pace throughout when gapping his rivals by a three-length margin, clocking 30.14 for his 525m gallop. (Watch a replay of this race)
The nation’s leading conditioner Lisa Cole has now prepared the son of Aston Dee Bee and Big Time Izzy to claim $174,445 in stake earnings for his multi code owing White Horse Toaster syndicate.
“I thought he raced a lot more smoothly down there on Thursday, although I would prefer to see him drawing closer in next time he’s down there,” commented Brendon Cole with an eye looking towards next month’s rich New Zealand Cup series after He’s All Go having raced from trap-eight in his last two Addington 525m races.
Cole also ruled out a possible trip across the Tasman for next month’s $1 million Melbourne Cup series saying, “Logistically the Melbourne Cup is out of the equation owing to travel restrictions, which makes it impossible to get over there in enough time to properly prepare for the Melbourne Cup. We aren’t ruling out getting over there some other time in the future.”
The Dave and Jean Fahey trained Opawa Marsh maintained his unbeaten Addington 295m record when he scampered through to his 10th win over the sprint trip returning Thursday’s meet best 16.74 time.
(Watch a replay of this race)
(Watch a replay of this race)
There were emotional podium scenes following race 5 when Malcolm Grant presented trainer Jason Dunn with the Lisa Grant Memorial Challenge Cup after the Opawa Racing owned Opawa Jocelyn won the C3 295m sprint held in the memory of Malcolm’s late wife.
(Click here to watch the replay of Opawa Jocelyn's win)
(Click here to watch the replay of Opawa Jocelyn's win)
The powerful Lisa Cole kennels was at it again when during last Tuesday’s Hatrick meeting, with all ten winners on the card being prepared from the Palmerston North based training establishment.
The professional greyhound Blazin’ Master controlled the pace throughout when winning his 39th career race, recording 30.19 for his C4/5 520m assignment. Big Time Bullet completed his 305m sprint in 17.59 when defeating his kennelmate Big Time Bora by a nose.
(Watch this close finish by clicking here)
A lure failure on the first turn in race 6, which wasn’t able to be rectified, resulted in the balance of Friday’s Wanganui meeting being abandoned.
Lisa Cole had trained the winners of the five-races that were contested, however the abandonment left the nation’s leading kennels sitting on 199 winners for the season.
Tuesday’s Wanganui straight track meeting is likely to see team Cole saluting the judge for the 200th time this season and the kennel will be lining up Friday’s 17.84 305m winner Big Time Clarke, who is benefiting from a bonus Maiden race, in the first race (12.24pm).
Lighting up the Manukau Stadium on Sunday was the Corey Steele prepared Opawa Tails who used his strength to out finish his 527m rivals in 30.45 when posting his 18th career win for his owning Opawa Racing team. (Replay: Click here)
Mad Paddy returned from his recent bold Addington 295m second placing to stylishly take out Sunday’s Manukau open class 318m sprint in 18.29 for Jared Udy and Denise Cottam. He’s likely to return to Addington to contest next week’s Gr. 1 295m Galaxy Sprint heats.
The Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase is a life changing race for the connections of the million dollars to-the-winner 520m race held last Friday at Sydney’s Wentworth Park.
That factor was clearly illustrated when witnessing the jubilant Wentworth Park scenes displayed by the winning Victorian conditioner Josh Farmosa who trained Blue Kemaro to an upset victory in the rich 520m race.
It was a roughly contested race, with the favoured outside drawn greyhounds all being impeded, losing all chance when racing around the first turn, after they made tardy starts.
Blue Kemaro secured a clear racing passage, which he seized upon to finish strongly, recording a tidy 29.41 for his outstanding win.
Last February Farmosa had recommended to his friend Ben Peart to purchase the then New South Wales trained Blue Kemaro for $10,000. The rest, as they say is now history!
“Unbelievable – to pull this off is unreal. I wasn’t nervous before the race as I was confident he would run a race,” an ecstatic Formosa said to @thedogs_com_au immediately after the race. “This is what dreams are made off.”
The big ticket Australian greyhound racing action now moves south to Victoria with the Melbourne Cup (Sandown Park) and The Phoenix (The Meadows) both offering a million dollars in stakes.
Pictured: Mad Paddy following his Sunday Manukau 318m win. Credit: Auckland GRC
