Quality NZ Cup Meeting Racing

It was a superb evening of greyhound racing during last Thursday’s Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup meeting at the Addington Raceway. Twelve quality races saw just under $240,000 in stake money being distributed by the Christchurch GRC.

 

Pictured: Pinny Mack with a delighted trainer Steve Clark following his Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup victory

 

The Addington Level 2 trackside dining area was humming throughout the evening as was the large crowd gathered in the Spectators Bar, despite the steady rain that set in over the later half of the meeting.

 

The two Group 1 races went to northern region trained greyhounds with Pinny Mack providing the Maramarua Forest-based conditioner Steve Clark with his second 520m Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup winner when he led the strong field throughout.

 

Pinny Mach simply pinged away from his six trap draw and he was never challenged afterwards, cruising to his second Group 1 title in 30.11s. “I didn’t know how Pinny was going to go owing to a virus he was affected with when travelling down. I considered scratching him and turning around to go back home.

 

“He really perked up during the stir up with the whistler they have on their lure. I guess I was more stunned with what he did – that was an amazing effort. I have to thank Dudley and Ben Parker (owners) who have never questioned my racing decisions with Pinny, while the top work that Shardae (Hunt) does at home allowed me to travel for the series,” commented Clark.   

 

Dyna Dave was in crowded quarters when racing into the first turn. He absolutely rocketed home 1.5 lengths behind the winner to claim his second consecutive New Zealand Cup second placing for his trainer Craig Roberts. In doing so he relegated the Ray Adcock prepared Start The Show, who had gamely chased after Pinny Mack, back to third by a head margin.

 

  

Pinny Mack delivering his bold NZ Cup (pic Dave Robbie); Craig Roberts seen here “wondering what could have been” with his NZ Cup runner up Dyna Dave; Jordan Bryce brought back the NZ Cup third placegetter Start The Show    

 

The Te Kauwhata based kennels where the partners Jared Udy and Denise Cottam train from enjoyed a hugely successful carnival which was capped off by their success with their sharp sprinter Buddy Boom who stylishly prevailed in the $35,000 The Fitz Sports Bar Galaxy Sprint final over the 295m dash.

 

“I’m pinching myself as this win means everything for us. It’s an absolute magic result. We always knew that Buddy was a special greyhound, but wow this is phenomenal,” stated Udy about his charge who completed his 295m assignment in 17.17s. The son of Captain Coutts and La Cigale also secured the Breeders’ bonus payment attached to the Group 1 race for being the first New Zealand bred sprinter to finish.

 

Race favourite Bolty made a moderate start for his trainer Daniel Lane. He charged home late and in doing so he lost no admirers when closing to within a head margin of Buddy Boom. Both greyhounds have exciting futures in from of them being young, up and coming sprinters.

 

Master trainer Ray Adcock provided the third-placed finisher in both Group 1 races during the evening when he produced Flora Dora for her third placing another 1.25 lengths behind after she sprinted handy to the pace throughout.

 

   

Buddy Boom fending off the late challenge thrown at him by Bolty to win The Fitz Sports Bar Galaxy Sprint (pic Dave Robbie); the Galaxy Sprint runner up Bolty and third-placed Flora Dora  

 

Expanded coverage on the NZ Cup and the Galaxy Sprint finals will be published in the next edition of the On Track magazine

 

The traditional feature NZ Cup night 732m staying event also went to North Island kennels with the Foxton trainer Angela Turnwald producing her stayer Hot Platter to lead all the way to claim the $15,000 I Pave Concrete Sockburn Cup. Her freewheeling win was completed in 44 seconds flat and she scored by a comfortable two-length margin.

 

She was gamely chased by the Dave and Jean Fahey prepared recent Group 1 Wanganui Distance winner Opawa Hilary, however she was gunned down for the second placing just short of the line by Goldstar Sydney who produced a sustained finish to claim that placing by a head margin for her trainers Steve and Bonnie Evans. Know Anxiety is making it a habit of finishing fourth in feature staying events. She was a further half-length behind in that placing for her trainer Gary Cleeve.

 

It was the second staying victory during the evening for the Turnwald kennels. Earlier Emgrand Park stylishly won the $8,000 A2C Asphalt 2 Concrete Ph 0800222583 Distance over the 645m trip. He initially chased after his kennelmate Emgrand Rose and then took over the race lead with just under a lap of the track to run. From there he cleared out to secure his feature win by a comfortable 7.25 length margin, clocking 37.79s.

 

Mighty Muscle improved from an early midfield position for the Fahey’s and from there he extended strongly to claim the runners up prize 3.75 lengths in advance of a game Emgrand Rose who kick on stoutly for his third placing.

 

   

Hot Platter delivering her I Pave Concrete Sockburn Cup 732m win (pic Dave Robbie) and seen here with her handler Courtney Turnwald; Paul Freeman with the 645m winner Emgrand Park, while Courtney Turnwald brought back kennelmate Emgrand Rose in the third placing with them being surrounded by race sponsor representatives     

 

The New Zealand Cup meeting got underway with a real bang for the Opawa Racing team and trainers Dave and Jean Fahey by winning the first three races on the card. Opawa Vinny fairly flew during the opening $4,000 Spectators Bar & Bistro C4 295m sprint putting an eight-length margin between him and his rivals. He returned the fastest 295m sprint time from the meeting when he stopped the clock in a slick 16.98s.

 

Next up was the $5,000 C3 Beach Café & Wine Bar Feature 520m event which saw Go Glow contesting the pace from the home turn. She was hotly challenged at the business end when Goldstar Alaska charged for the Evans’s when missing by a nose. The 520m task was completed in 30.92s.

 

The opening hat trick was completed in the third race feature $7,000 Kasisa Earthworks 0272073325 Restricted Age 520m event where Go Vegas controlled the pace throughout when he delivered his 30.42s win. He led home his promising kennelmate Opawa Toddy by a length. There was another up and coming chaser sighted pressing home okay when Crème Brulee claimed third a further 3.5 length for her trainer Lisa Waretini.

 

  

The potent Opawa Racing and Dave and Jean Fahey partnership kicked off the NZ Cup meeting in real style when they combined to produce the first three winners – Opawa Vinny started the winning streak seen here with Opawa Racing’s Robin Wales and Graham Campbell along with handler Mark Lin; Go Glow and Go Vegas then stylishly landed their respective 520m wins

 

Goldstar Trooper didn’t receive any racing favours in his Galaxy Sprint heat. The Steve and Bonnie Evans kennels had him ticking over nicely prior to that series and he was rewarded when he finished stylishly to easily win the $4,500 Steve Anngow Drapes & Blinds Ph 0272719588 Feature C5 295m dash. He cut out his sprint in a tidy 17.28s taking it out by a comfortable 5.5 length margin. There was just a nose separating the minor place getters with the Ray Casey prepared Lisa’s Boy edging out the winner’s kennelmate Super Over Drama by that slim margin.

 

Tony Hart provided an outstanding trophy for the $5,500 Len, Jane & Penny Hart Memorial C4 feature over 520m. The recently downgraded Craig Roberts trained Dyna Varsity didn’t require a second invitation after jumping from the one trap when he dictated the pace to his rivals, cruising to his win by four lengths when clocking 30.11s. The Fahey’s produced Spring Falcon to finish second, while there was another 2.5 lengths back to the third placed Know Betrayal for Gary Cleeve.

 

It was back to the Opawa Racing team next up when on this occasion Robin Wales trained Our Jolene to take out the $5,000 Springston Hotel C3 520m feature event. She cut back her pace making kennelmate Our Anna when she took out the event by 4.75 lengths in 30.56s. It was the fourth owning and breeding win for Opawa Racing during the evening.

 

  

Bonnie Evans is delighted with Goldstar Trooper’s C5 295m win, while Steve Evans brought back kennelmate Super Over Drama who finished third; Tony Hart (second left) donated this outstanding trophy which remembered family members in the Len, Jane & Penny Hart Memorial C4 feature won by Dyna Varsity for trainer Craig Roberts (right); Our Jolene was the fourth Opawa Racing bred and owned winner during the NZ Cup meeting 

 

The $15,000 Avonhead Tavern Feature was the New Zealand Cup consolation which fell to the Craig Roberts prepared Uthor Bale who finished solidly to cut back the pace-setting Rivalries from the Dave and Jean Fahey kennels by 1.25 lengths when clocking 30.42s for his gallop. Diddilee produced a sound effort for Angela Turnwald when finishing third a further two lengths behind.   

 

Versailles was on the reserves bench for the $35,000 The Fitz Sports Bar Galaxy Sprint final for his trainer Jason Dunn. Obviously, he didn’t make the Group 1 final, however he gained some compensation when he produced his strong 17.29s 295m sprint to take out the last race $10,000 Garrard’s Horse & Hounds Free For All in what was the Galaxy Sprint consolation. He ran down the northerner Blitz ‘Em Rene who is prepared by the Galaxy Sprint winning trainers Jared Udy and Denise Cottam by 1.25 lengths. There was the same margin back to the Alan Joyce trained third-place finisher Jinja Elle.               

    

  

Consolation races was held for both of the Group 1 races – Uthor Bale prevailed for Craig Roberts in the Avonhead Tavern Feature (NZ Cup consolation), while Jason Dunn mentored his sprinter Versailles to win the Garrard’s Horse & Hounds Free For All (Galaxy Sprint consolation)

 

By Peter Fenemor