STAYING STAR, Miata arrived at Albion Park for the heats of the Group 1 Gold Cup over 710 metres last Thursday night without the benefit of a look at the track. She had to sit outside Yowyeh for more than a lap of the track but in the end the foregone conclusion everyone expected rolled out. Miata stormed away in the straight to win in 41.89. The daughter of Bombastic Shiraz and Winsome Bluebird scored by an ever-increasing seven and a quarter lengths over Yowyeh, with a nose to third placed Abby Shiraz, who ran on well. Miata took her record to 24 wins and two placings from 28 starts. “That was good for her first look at the track,” said trainer and partowner, Paul Stuart. He reported that Miata had travelled well from WA to Queensland for the series and they will stay in Queensland for the week leading up to this week’s final. He is kenneled with Dave Robartson at Churchable. Stuart said Miata would be improved by last Thursday night’s heat win. “It was her first run in two weeks and she will benefit from the race,” he said. He admitted he had been a bit easy on the bitch after her Sandown Cup third. The bitch will have her normal couple of straight gallops in preparation for the final. Stuart said he was uncertain if Miata would stay to run in the Superstayers Invitation the week after the Gold Cup final. “There is a 595 metres race at Sandown in July that is worth $40,000,” said Stuart. WITCH ON WHEELS continued her great form by winning a heat of the Gold Cup. And the run impressed her new trainer, Tony Brett, who has had the daughter of Bombastic Shiraz and Sionara Baby for only a few weeks. She scored by a neck over Victorian visitor, her litter brother, Double Jeopardy, with a length and a quarter to Tango Tapper running the race of her life to get third. Local hope, Mocha Shocker was fourth. Witch On Wheels has now won her past four starts, and her past two at Albion Park. It was her 10th win in 45 starts.
QLD David Brasch Brett was high in praise of the bitch. “She just keeps plugging away,” said Tony. “That was a really good run.” Double Jeopardy and Mocha Shocker battled each other throughout the early stages of the race, giving Witch On Wheels the sitting shot at them. Witch On Wheels looked all over the winner when she loomed up approaching the home turn but was checked off the heels of the leaders. However, she lost little momentum and came back at Double Jeopardy to win on the line.
Right to plan MICK PATTERSON was emotional when his grand galloper, He Knows Uno swept into the final of this week’s Group 1 Gold Cup at Albion Park. It’s been Mick’s target with He Knows Uno for months and everything he has done with the son of Primo Uno and Honeymoon’s Over has been with this series in mind. And Mick warned rivals the “adopted Queenslander” would find “a little something” for this week’s rich final. The son of Primo Uno and Honeymoon’s Over scored by a length and a quarter over Shimaguni, with four lengths to Hail A Mail third. It was his 26th win in 61 starts, and his 14th at Albion Park. Patterson was over the moon with the victory, which continues his great record on the track. He has already won the Group 1 Brisbane Cup, as well as the Gold Coast Cup and Flying Amy Classic. He Knows Uno has been crying out for a change in “riding tactics” in his races at Albion Park. He had been pitted against moderate opposition before the Gold Cup heat and has found himself in front too soon, thus he’s been burning himself out. “The speed was always going to be on in his heat, and that was always going to play right into his paws,” said Mick. “And that’s what happened.”
Tony and Christine Apap with Tendulkar, who clean bowled his rivals last week in a heat of the Flying Amy Classic at ‘The Creek’, A son of Brett Lee, he can make it a hat-trick by taking out Thursday night’s final. NATIONAL GREYHOUND FORM NOW ON SALE WEDNESDAY IN NSW - Distributed by John Fairfax.
High class WA staying bitch, Miata proved her Sandown defeat form wrong when she made a sharp late sprint before winning a Macro Meats Gold Cup heat at Albion Park, running Best Of Night 41.89. Sandown Cup winner, Irma Bale sped out to lead clearly but was quickly joined by Shimaguni and Hail A Mail. He Knows Uno was well back at this stage, but turning into the back straight he started to make ground. From the 600 metres boxes he surged up and near the line was running right away. “This run will top him right off for the final,” said Patterson. “He was pretty wound-up tonight but the run will do him good. It doesn’t matter where he draws in the final. “I want lots and lots of early speed on in the final.”
Runs on the board TENDULKAR continued to put the runs on the board when he led throughout to win a heat of the 520 metres Flying Amy Classic at Albion Park last Thursday night. The Christina Apap kennel pitched in for a good win on the royally bred son of Brett Lee and Miss Brook, who scored by four and three quarter lengths to Super Earner, with a nose to Our Don third. It was his fifth win from 10 starts. Tendulkar is a litter brother to Vince Curry winner, Brook Lee, and Christina said there was only a good length between the pair at breaking in. “But this dog is very, very green,” she said. “We have got sick of him hitting the running rail in his early races.” Tendulkar has overcome the ‘green pup’ tag and is now a polished allrounder. He ran a sharp 30.14 after early sections of 5.76 and 11.59. Tendulkar was bred and is raced by Paul Felgate, who bred and trained his mother, the great Miss Brook, the winner of, amongst other Group races, the Albion Park Gold Cup. BOGIE MAGIC put himself on target to complete the “Bogie Ace” double when he won a Classic heat. The son of El Galo and Bogie Gem ran 30.38 when scoring by a length and a half over Elly
Bouche, with five lengths to Gardam Ace third. Bogie Magic, bred and raced by Les Bein and trained by Ryan Ayre, was coming off a win in the Mick Byrne Memorial at headquarters. Bein’s former star galloper, Bogie Ace had won the Byrne Memorial/Flying Amy classic double back in 2008. Ryan was disappointed with the run-home time of 12.92. “The track is a bit soft, which could account for that,” he said, “but I was a bit easy on the dog after the previous week’s final.” Bogie Magic took his record to 10 wins in 19 starts, six of those have been at Albion Park. UNDERRATED sprinter, Jean’s Work will head into his third feature final in the Flying Amy Classic.
The son of Collision and Splitting Hairs overcame difficulties to win a heat last week in 30.70, scoring by three quarters of a length over the fast finishing Never Tell, with a length and three quarters to third placed Sarah’s Ace. It was his seventh win in 14 starts. He has already won the Eric Thomson Maiden Final at Albion Park late last year and then made the final of the Ipswich Auction. Breeder, owner and trainer, Di Buxton says she will step up the dog’s racing after he contests the Classic final. “I think he is the sort of dog that needs to do a lot more racing,” said Di. “He relishes it and just loves going racing.”
National Greyhound Form, Thursday, June 14th, 2012 – Page 11