Stylish Addington feature Race Wins
Stylish Addington feature Race Wins
Aside from the Waterloo Cup heat, there were two other feature race finals decided at the Addington Raceway late last week. Thursday evening saw a strong pace making win delivered by the stayer Alotta Talk in the $16,000 Kingston Cup over 732m. The following afternoon Crème Brulee stylishly prevailed in the $7,500 NZRS Novice 520m final.
Pictured: Thursday’s Kingston Cup winner Alotta Talk seen here after a previous Addington win (pic Dave Robbie)
The Kingston Cup is an annual Group 2 732m staying event that acknowledges the valued long term input that the Kingston family has contributed to not only Canterbury greyhound racing, but also at a national level.
There was an early sensation shortly after the 732m traps lifted. The hot $1.20 favourite Dyna Weslyn got tangled up in traffic when going into and rounding the first turn and copped a check, which effectively ended her winning claims after she had hopped away from the eight trap.
Meanwhile charging straight into the race lead, wearing the red racing vest was the Dave and Jean Fahey prepared stayer Alotta Talk. It was a race lead that he was never going to relinquish The Punters HQ owned litter brother to the outstanding Victorian stayer Tornado Tears was in cruise control throughout his 732m assignment.
He was being gamely chased by his kennel mate Opawa Hilary while slipping through into third along the rail when rounding the first turn was Goldstar Sydney for her trainers Steve and Bonnie Evans. And that was to remain the race order but the balance of this staying test.
Alotta Talk freewheeled his way through to his biggest career victory, landing his Group 2 title by a comfortable 5.25 lengths, clocking 43.09s. The runner up Opawa Hilary claimed the Breeders’ bonus payment attached to this event with this Opawa Racing bred and owned daughter of Barcia Bale and Opawa Michelle being the first Kiwi bred stayer to finish. Goldstar Sydney boldly stuck to her task for her third placing a length behind and in doing so she held at bay the fast-finishing Dyna Weslyn by a half head margin.
Alotta Talk kept up his remarkable trap one record as this was the fifth occasion he raced from that desired draw and he has now won all five of those races from there. He has now won nine of his 31 race day outings, while he has placed in another six. His career stake earnings now sit at $32,966.
Members of her owing Punters HQ syndicate are very active on social media sites and regularly feature in providing updates and news on their Australian and New Zealand racing interests. They also have a keen sense of humour as seen by the racing name that their promising sprinter Super Over Drama carries. They also posted their “own, rather biased commentary” version on Alotta’s Talk’s win on twitter. All good, entertaining stuff guys!
Representing the Kingston family following the running of the Kingston Cup was Maureen Kingston and she is joined by co-trainer Dave Fahey and Jack Johnston who handled Alotta Talk; Mark Lin returned with runner up Opawa Hilary, while bringing back the third-placed Goldstar Sydney was Lindsay McQuillan – pics Tony Music, Christchurch GRC
$7,500 NZRS Novice final – Friday
Friday’s running of the $7,500 NZRS Novice final was always going to be a keenly contested 520m event. Five heats held the previous week saw a very talented field of young greyhounds clashing in this feature. Many of these finalists will be sighted racing in higher grades, plus also restricted age races later in the season.
The early season Garrard’s Horse & Hounds Canterbury OTB Maiden 520m winner Tricky is a very promising up and coming chaser for his trainer Dan Lane. She jumped away smartly from the four trap to lead the field into the first turn. She was hotly pursued by Crème Brulee who is raced and trained by Lisa Waretini after she also made a quick start from the one trap. Angling across the balance of the field after exiting from trap seven was Go Diego for his trainers Dave and Jean Fahey.
This trio of runners cleared away from their other five rivals, with the only thing left to be decided was which postrace podium positions that these three chasers was going to occupy. Tricky led them into the straight for the run home where Crème Brulee moved out of her slipstream to put in the telling late bounds, resulting in this daughter of Zulu Zeus and Surf Girl being rewarded when she nailed her feature race win by a neck margin, posting a tidy 30.26s over a gallant Tricky (Fabregas – Tee Time). Go Diego (Barcia Bale – Opawa Born) charged between the pair and he was just a half-length behind in third.
It was the third occasion that Crème Brulee raced from the one trap and it was her third win while carrying the red racing vest. She has placed in another three races from just seven race day appearances, while the $5,919 stakes she has so far won can be expected to quickly grow for her owner and trainer.
Crème Brulee winning out in a keenly contested finish in Friday’s NZRS Novice final over Tricky with Go Diego jammed between them; Alysha Waretini handled Crème Brulee and she is joined at the podium by runner up Tricky with Dan Lane, while Mark Lin brought back the third-placed Go Diego – pics by Race Images and supplied by Dave Robbie
By Peter Fenemor
