It was a Derby demolition on Friday night as Go Bears burned his way out of the boxes and sprinted straight into the history books.
The 4.75 length romp in a time of 29.47 giving Orange’s Jay Opetaia the biggest race victory of his career and coming just 11 starts after the young gun took over training duties from owners Karen and Ron Ulrick.
“It’s very special. He’s just a good dog and I’m sure Karen will be happy,” Opetaia said with a wry grin.
“They’re just a long way away from Sydney and they just thought the dog would get a better opportunity being housed closer to Sydney and luckily they chose us.”
“I haven’t improved him that much, I don’t know if I’ve improved him at all. They made the dog, he ran third in the [National] Derby and he made the New Sensation for them so I’ve just kept him going.”
“To win it for yourself is good, but to win it for a family like that…it’s surreal. They’ve changed they’re whole life to go up to this new property that they’ve just bought, they worked tirelessly to set it up, just to win it for them is great.”
The recently crowned Greyhound Racing NSW Young Achiever of the Year adding a Group 2 Ladbrokes Richmond Derby title to his growing CV after claiming the Chief Havoc Cup with Street Of Dreams last June.
An elated Karen Ulrick was trackside at the Richmond Race Club and over the moon with the family’s greatest greyhound success.
“It’s the best feeling I’ve had in my whole life…he’s the best dog we’ve ever had…big decision but it was the right decision, sometimes you’ve got to make the hard decisions to do what’s best for the dog and it was definitely the right decision,” Ulrick said.
“There’s a lot of people to thank. Jay Opetaia and his family, they’re champions. We trusted him with the dog and you couldn’t ask for more.”
“Alex Verhagen who bred the dog, breeders aren’t recognised enough in NSW. Alex, you’ve got your first Group 1…he’s at the pinnacle…he’s hitting his peak right now, bring on the Easter Egg I reckon”
Karen’s father, Ronnie, cheering the house down eight hours away in the state’s north.
“It’s a wonder you didn’t hear me from here,” Ron Ulrick laughed.
“It’ll take me a while to come back to earth after that one. I’m only a bystander but I’m feeling pretty good mate I tell ya. He went bloody great and he deserved a big one.”
The experienced mentor vindicated by his decision to hand Go Bears over to Opetaia at the back end of 2023.
“We actually moved from Urunga to a place called Shannon Brook up near Casino which is another two-and-a-half hours away from Sydney. I’m 77 next birthday mate and the travelling was knocking me around,” he added.
“I knew Jay was a good trainer, my grandkids speak well of him all the time, so we asked him if he wanted Go Bears and he did. I’ve seen him racing around the bush and he’s a good hand with a dog the young bloke. And hasn’t he done a great job winning the Derby.”
The Minnie Finn-trained duo of Both Bowers Ace and PEAKY JOE filled the minors in times of 29.81 and 30.01 respectively.
Earlier in the night, Shanghai Suzie etched her name alongside some of the best the sport has seen after taking out the Ladbrokes Richmond Oaks.
The pre-race favourite giving Wollongong trainer Greg Remfry the first feature triumph of his fledgling training career.
“I used to give my dogs to Ruth King but this one, I sort of thought “she’s taking a bit of time” and we fell in love her and we ended up keeping her and she ended up coming good,” an emotional Remfry said post-race.
“She’s just so good at home, my wife always says if she had wings, she’d be a proper angel…when I won my maiden, that was massive for me, but to win this, it’s out of this world.”
The daughter of Fernando Bale x Mumza Pearl was heavily supported in betting ahead of the famous Group 2 feature, and although she was outjumped by National Futurity runner-up Hurricane Reign, she soon dashed up alongside her younger rival.
By the time they reached the first turn, Shanghai Suzie carved over to the fence and set up a race winning break.
The final time of 29.76 may have been two lengths outside her heat time seven days ago, but the final margin of 2.25 lengths was all that really mattered in the end.
Akii Princess finished second for George Bord while the Susan Smith-trained My Hepburn ran third.
In the night’s other features, Ritza Trish took out the John Mccombe Memorial for Trish Chalker, while Aussie Brad won the Frank Kennedy Memorial over the staying trip.
Trainer Mark Bell winding back the clock in his post-race victory speech in honour of the legendary race caller.
“When I was a kid, my grandmother, she lived in the same street as Les Harper, next door actually. She had greyhounds and what we’d do, on a Sunday morning, we’d go over to grandma’s place and listen to the replays of the races,” Bell said.
“Back then you used to get a record, so we’d sit around and listen to the record be played of the races at Wentworth Park or Harold Park on the Saturday night and it was the man [Frank Kennedy], the greatest. My grandmother loved him, everyone, he was just the best race caller ever and still probably to this day.”
“It is special, I know it’s only a low grade race, 1-4 win, but it does mean a lot because the man was a genius. I had him [Aussie Brad] in Western Australia getting trained and was told he was no good so we advertised him over there for $2,000 and he’s won $34,000 since he’s come back, so he’s going alright."
