Reflecting on a stellar 2021/22 racing season
Know Keeper was one of the standout performers in the 2021/22 racing season. Photo credit: Dave Robbie.
It was a gold medal performance from all greyhound industry participants throughout the recently completed 2021/22 racing season.
Everyone from kennelhands, handlers, trainers and owners through to raceday staff, administrators and patrons all contributed to a hugely successful season for all concerned.
Yes, Covid-19 again conspired to interrupt parts of the season; however, a resilient code-wide approach combined with positive attitudes ensured that racing continued with minimal disruption.
Here’s a quick look back at some of the 2021/22 season’s racing highlights, commencing with a summary of the pinnacle Group 1 events.
Dalisha Bale caused an upset in the 2021 $100,000 Suck It Up Ltd New Zealand Cup. Photo credit: Dave Robbie.
The New Zealand Cup meeting last November turned into a triumph for local conditioner Craig Roberts.
Roberts mentored Dalisha Bale to an upset victory in the $100,000 Suck It Up Ltd New Zealand Cup. She finished her 520m assignment strongly for her 30.12 victory, returning a $41.60 win dividend to reward her supporters.
Two races later, Roberts produced the $2.20 favourite Uthor Bale to easily claim victory in the $30,000 Camside Stud New Zealand Stayers Cup. She completed her 732m task in 43.56.
Earlier in the evening, Palmerston North trainer Lisa Cole prepared her resilient greyhound Bigtime Cooper for his dashing, 17.05 pace-making victory in the $30,000 The Fitz Sports Bar Galaxy Sprint final over the 295m sprint. He started as the $2.80 favourite.
The talented Dave and Jean Fahey-prepared Opawa Superstar was installed as the warm $1.70 favourite for the January running of the $30,000 Suck It Up Ltd New Zealand Breeders Stakes, also at Addington.
The 520m event brings together the leading New Zealand-bred Restricted Age greyhounds at the elite level and on this occasion, the Opawa Racing Limited-bred son of Fernando Bale and Opawa Tab dominated his rivals when delivering his turbo-charged 29.80 gallop.
Next up was the $80,000 Auckland Cup Final in March and it was the Faheys and Opawa Superstar claiming back-to-back Group 1 victories. The $1.80 favourite was never seriously challenged when he effortlessly skipped through his Manukau 527m task in 30.30.
Opawa Superstar was too good in the Group 1 Auckland Cup at Manukau Stadium. Photo credit: Auckland Greyhound Racing Club.
The $30,000 Railway Sprint provided an upset, with the ageless NZ Greyhound Hall of Famer Thayne Green applying the finishing touches to his sprinter Golden Fern. He proved too strong when dashing through the 318m sprint in 18.45, paying $27.30.
The two Blue Ribbon Restricted Age Group 1 events followed, commencing with the $50,000 Mike Stent Decorators New Zealand Derby over 457m at the Cambridge Raceway during April.
Canterbury conditioner Tony Hart travelled north, seeking his first winner at the elite level. He was to return home with the NZ Derby victor Diego Jem on board after he dictated the pace to his rivals when scampering to his 25.52 victory, returning $4.20.
Charlotte Lu delivered for Tony Hart in the Selwyn-Rakaia Vet Services New Zealand Oaks. Photo credit: Dave Robbie.
Then in May, it was the girls’ turn, and yes, Tony Hart, this time on his home Addington track, mentored the $1.40 hot favourite Charlotte Lu to her black-type victory, which came via her stylish 520m 30.10 win in the $50,000 Selwyn-Rakaia Vet Services New Zealand Oaks.
Craig Roberts was at it again on the same race card – on this occasion, he tasted success in the $30,000 Active Electrical New Zealand St Leger. Melville Bale jumped away sweetly from the 520m trap-8, from where the $10.20 prospect maintained a solid gallop to lead throughout, stopping the clock in 30.04.
Garry Cleeve had resisted the strong temptation to cross the Tasman to chase after the enormous stakemoney available over there with his outstanding stayer Know Keeper. For years, he had held a burning desire to win the prestigious $80,000 SENZ Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Collar over the extreme 779m journey.
In June, at Manukau Stadium, he was deservedly rewarded when the home-bred son of Know Class and Know Jinx powerfully outstayed his rivals to annex his 46.14 victory. It was finally mission accomplished for Crafty and family!
The same afternoon also saw the running of the time-honoured $30,000 Waterloo Cup being contested over 527m. The unique event sees qualifying being completed on tracks around the country.
It was the Craig Roberts-trained slick Addington 520m 29.71 heat winner Talbingo Bale who headed north to start as the $2.70 race favourite. He gave his supporters no concern whatsoever when he cruised to his impressive 29.88 win. In doing so, the son of David Bale and Dyna Zesty became the quickest male greyhound to gallop around the Manukau 527m trip.
Talbingo Bale then returned to his home Addington track where he had been low-flying, delivering a series of sub-30 second 520m gallops. His task this time around was the July running of the $30,000 Rose & Thistle South Island Champs.
He was installed as the hot $1.30 favourite which he certainly justified, when he dictated terms to his rivals when claiming his second Group 1 title in 29.96. He also provided trainer Craig Roberts with his fifth training success at Group 1 level for the season.
Talbingo Bale enjoyed pats from his adoring fans at Manukau Stadium, after trainer Craig Roberts brought him into the stand following his Group 1 Waterloo Cup win.
Race Categories
A GRNZ commissioned panel will decide the 2021/22 winners of the various race categories which, along with the overall NZ Greyhound of the Year winner, will be announced at the GRNZ Awards evening in Christchurch on September 17.
Here’s a quick glance at some of the leading contenders.
Sprinter
Homebush Sirius won the most races during the season, with John McInerney preparing him to win 27 races over the short course dashes.
The Lisa Cole-prepared pair of Typhoon Tim and Big Time Prada both landed 19 wins and both featured consistently over the short course sprints throughout the season.
Riley Evans enjoyed a successful season and Goldstar Portia contributed 17 Addington 295m sprint wins to his training tally.
The versatile Master Porthos delivered a number of slippery sprints, along with strong 457m races for his conditioner Tony Hart.
Middle Distance
Now this sure is a category that has thrown up a real puzzle to sort out, owing to a number of quality genuine contenders.
The Dave and Jean Fahey-trained Opawa Superstar kicked goals right from the start of his career, quickly rushing through the grades. He picked up a third in the New Zealand Cup, then he went on to win the Group 1 NZ Breeders Stakes and the Auckland Cup, while also taking out the feature Manawatu Cup in between.
From there, the son of Fernando Bale and Opawa Tab finished as the runner-up in the NZ Derby, then ran third in the NZ St Leger, before completing his outstanding season by winning the Group 2 Colin Keen Memorial at Ascot Park.
Opawa Superstar raced on 35 occasions, recording 23 wins, 11 placings and a tidy $172,227 in stakes for his owners Allan Davidson and Opawa Racing Limited.
Talbingo Bale consistently set the Addington track alight, recording an astounding 12 sub-30-second 520m times, with the quickest being delivered in a turbo-charged 29.65.
At Group 1 level, trainer Craig Roberts produced him to run third in the Auckland Cup, then he returned to the Manukau Stadium to win the Waterloo Cup. The Brendan Wheeler-owned son of David Bale and Dyna Zesty then effortlessly won the South Island Champs.
Talbingo Bale was sighted on 28 occasions throughout the season, winning 18, while placing in another five races. He banked $96,215 in stake earnings.
Opawa Wayne can be awarded the “bridesmaid” title. He must be a really frustrated greyhound owing to the numerous Group race placings he endured. He was the runner-up in the Auckland Cup, fourth in the NZ St Leger Final, second in the Waterloo Cup, third in the Canterbury Futurity and second in the Colin Keen Memorial.
The Faheys produced the Opawa Racing Limited-owned and bred son of Fernando Bale and Opawa Sophie for 43 races, resulting in 17 wins and 17 placings for $88,285 in stakes.
Commendable season-long middle distance races were delivered by the Lisa Cole-trained Mustang Charlie, who won 20 races and $87,969, and also Pedro Lee for Peter Ferguson, who made the Cambridge 457m trip is own as seen by his 17 457m wins (plus two-375m wins) and $78,613, which earned him the King of Cambridge title.
Distance
Okay, surely this category must be game, set and match for the classy stayer Know Keeper.
The son of Know Class and Know Jinx completely dominated the staying ranks once he was stepped up to the longer race distances.
Trainer Garry Cleeve mentored his kennel star to an unprecedented 18 consecutive staying victories, ranging in distances from 645m to 779m.
Included was equalling the Addington 645m track record at 37.57 in his very first staying assignment. He also set new time standards for the Manawatu 660m (37.74) and 720m (40.93) race distances.
At Group 2 level, he annexed the 732m Galway Cup (Ascot Park), 720m Nancy Cobain Memorial (Manawatu), 747m Teressa McDonald Cup (Cambridge) and 732m Kingston Cup (Addington), while Know Keeper’s crowning moment came in his emphatic 779m SENZ Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Collar (Manukau) victory.
His sheer domination of the staying ranks can be gauged by his 19 wins from his 21 staying assignments, netting him $149,437 in stakes over the longer journeys.
New Zealand-Bred
Quality – that sums up the leading New Zealand-bred greyhounds.
Yes, Know Keeper was obviously to the forefront in this category, as illustrated by the overall $185,825 in stakes he won during the term. That was the result of 25 wins and five minors from his 35 races throughout the season.
Exceptional season performances came from Kiwi-bred chasers listed above including Opawa Superstar, Homebush Sirius, Big Time Prada and Opawa Wayne.
Trainers
It was situation normal at the top of the Trainer’s Premiership table, with all the leading conditioners from previous seasons again featuring.
Lisa Cole maintained her presence at the head of the table again, winning the premiership with 693 winners.
The loss of the Hatrick Raceway as a racing venue clearly impacted on her seasonal tally, as seen by the 854 and 925 winners prepared during the previous two seasons. Despite that, the ‘Big Time’ kennel saw $2,168,887 in stakes flowing into it.
John McInerney provided 628 winners during the term, which assisted to generate the $1,575,352 in stake earnings that the Homebush team won.
Dave and Jean Fahey also cracked the seven-figure barrier, with their 266 winners earning the kennel $1,076,008.
Also raising a double century of wins was another pair of Canterbury kennels, with Riley Evans finishing up on 249 winners for the Goldstar operation, while Craig Roberts completed his season with exactly 200 winners.
The leading northern region mentors came in next, with sisters Lisa and Tracey Craik producing a very commendable 182 winners.
As detailed elsewhere on this site, the Trainers Strike-Rate decision went into the final week of the season.
Foxton trainer Sammy Phillips had a season she’ll remember for a long time. She nudged out the perennial strike-rate contender Karen Walsh by the slim UDR margin of 0.4689 to 0.4652.
Dams
Consistent season long sprint performances, predominately by Amuri prefixed greyhounds, cemented Burn Early as the leading win producer, with her progeny receiving the judge’s call in 98 races.
Jemima Tee was the runner-up last season and she occupied the same position this season thanks to her 71 winners.
Last season’s leading dam by wins was Kissing Gwyneth and she came in third this time around, leaving 69 winners.
It comes as no surprise to see Know Jinx’s progeny leading the stakes race with her offspring, headed by Know Keeper amassing stake earnings amounting to $274,135, while Kissing Gwyneth was credited with $252,276 in stakes from her representatives.
Special mention has to go to Opawa Tab, who despite having just seven runners, saw them accumulating $251,490 in stakes2, with Opawa Superstar being her star performer, greatly contributing to her 51 winners.
Sires
Fernando Bale completely dominated the siring ranks on both sides of the Tasman. At the end of July, the millionaire greyhound on the track had sired the winner of 28,965 races and an incredible $102,338,383 in Australasian stake earnings.
In New Zealand, the superstar sire left 588 race winners and the winner of $2,137,440 in stakes for the recently completed season.
Spring Gun was represented by 428 winners ($1,157,186), while Barcia Bale featured again leaving 332 winners ($1,026,731).
The leading New Zealand based sire was Dream Collector with the winner of 129 races and $424,653 in stakes.
By Peter Fenemor