Grunt Claims The Manukau Cup
“Yes, it’s nice to see him winning a feature race. Hopefully, he can do it again next week,” was the podium comment made by co-trainer Tracey Steele following the strong feature $5,000 Manukau Cup victory that Grunt delivered on Sunday afternoon.
Pictured: Co-trainer Tracey Steele with the Manukau Cup won by Grunt
The next week comment was made in regard to the 527m heats for the $90,000 Auckland Cup next Sunday at the Manukau Stadium which Grunt is scheduled to contest.
It was a successful afternoon of chasing action for the Te Awamutu based Steele kennels with Tracey, who trains in combination with her husband Wayne, having provided the race trifecta in the prior open class 318m sprint with a trio of littermates (see below). Earlier they had prepared Kapai Stewie to win his C0 318m sprint, while they produced Not Shackley to win the last race C1 318m dash.
Grunt seized the early race lead when going into the first turn and he was never seriously challenged afterwards as he strode clear when carrying the white racing vest to maintain a solid pace throughout which led to his bold 30.82s 527m win on the newly resurfaced Manukau track.
Spring Queen started as the race favourite for her conditioner Emma Potts. She was tardily away from the four trap, settling back in the field. She then overcame traffic to improve her field position down the back straight from where she finished solidly to claim the runner up prize, 3.25 lengths behind Grunt.
Kiwi Gal was held out wide and in traffic after she hopped away from the seven trap. She maintained a bold gallop down the back straight while still racing out wide. She kicked on stoutly to arrive a further 5.5 lengths astern in third for her trainers Jared Udy and Denise Cottam.
The win by Grunt was his eighth and after adding in another ten minor placings sees the career earnings for this son of My Bro Fabio and Cawbourne Rev now sitting at $18,271 from his 35 race day outings for his Canterbury-based I Pave Shirley Boys owning syndicate. As mentioned above Grunt will be seeking to expand on those figures during the forthcoming Auckland Cup series.
Sunday’s Manukau Cup winner Grunt; Auckland GRC Chairman John Roberts presenting Tracey Steele with the Manukau Cup
Heats for the $30,000 Railway Sprint over 318m also at Group 1 level will be held at the Manukau Stadium next Sunday and it certainly was the ideal lead-in result for the Steele kennel on Sunday.
They train three members of the outstanding Captain Coutts – La Cigale litter and they provided the open class race trifecta with Carbon Tiger leading all the way to clock his 18.46s 318m win.
He held a 1.5 length margin over his brother Captain Kev, while it was the same margin back to the third-placed sister Electric Dancer. Another littermate Ashen from the Bob Bond kennels finished unplaced in this sprint. The quartet will be joined by another litter brother, the Jared Udy and Denise Cottam prepared Group 1 winning Galaxy Sprint winner Buddy Boom in the Railway Sprint heats.
Sunday’s family pic with the crowded Manukau podium occupied by members of the late Leo and Henny Laagland bred Captain Coutts – Le Cigale litter – race winner Carbon Tiger is flanked by runner up Captain Kev and third-placed Electric Dancer; Kapai Stewie prevailed in the C0 318m sprint for the Steele’s while their daughter Melissa brought back the last race C1 318m winner Not Shackley
Pawnote: The Auckland GRC are acutely aware that lower graded greyhounds probably won’t receive a race start owing to the Auckland Cup and Railway Sprint heats that will be contested on Sunday. Trainers are urged to nominate for the special additional low-grade meeting that will be held at the Manukau Stadium next Monday afternoon (noms close this Wednesday at noon).
By Peter Fenemor
