Sprinters tend to garner the spotlight but in 2013 Smart Valentino’s barnstorming finish to beat the Victorians on their own track in the National Distance Championship set the tone in a stellar year for stayers.
Bought for a mere $4000 just before beginning his racing career, and trained by Mark Swift, a battling coalminer from Lithgow, Smart Valentino (pictured with Swift) gave NSW its second National Distance Championship win in eight years.
His powerful finish to take out the 725m event at The Meadows on August 24 represented the first NSW success since Blue Lorian had landed the 2010 final over 731m at Adelaide’s Angle Park.
Media personalities Gerard Guthrie and Peter Davis began 2013 with a bang when they shared ownership of the John Finn-trained Sheikha, who led throughout to beat Cavendish Flyer in the Paws Of Thunder final at Wentworth Park on January 19.
It was a big night’s racing with the Paul Wheeler-owned Irma Bale leading throughout to down a luckless Bell Haven, from Tasmania, in the 720m Summer Plate and Joshua running a second split record of 13.68 to win The Collerson.
An even bigger card was decided at Wentworth Park on March 30 with the highlight being Grigorieva Bale giving Paul Wheeler yet another Group 1 victory in the $250,000 to the winner Macro Meats Golden Easter Egg final.
Grigorieva Bale, trained in Victoria by Andrea Dailly, won in 29.65, a mere .05 outside the race record set by Don’t Knocka Him a year earlier.
Unlucky runner was Jason Mackay’s Punch One Out, who had trounced Grigorieva Bale in a track record 29.27 in her Easter Egg semi-final, but who lost all chance in the run off when she bungled the start and was skittled when making up ground going through the catching pen.
Spud Regis gave Andrea Dailly an important winning double on the same card when he hold out a fast finishing burst from Nowra trainer Steve White’s Amadeus Strike in The Ambrosoli.
Miata’s race record of 41.94 was equalled by Fancy Liza, prepared by rookie trainer Chris Spratt, when she ran down Bell Haven in the 720m Association Cup.
Clockwise caught Black Rip right on the line in the Centrebet Magic Maiden while her trainers Jane and John Carruthers scored a winning double when Charmed Assassin won the inaugural running of The New Sensation, a restricted class race worth $25,000 to the winner.
A month later Bell Haven atoned for her unlucky second to Irma Bale in the Summer Plate by beating that greyhound a half-head in the 720m Betfair Cup at Wentworth Park.
It had been a star-studded field with Steve White’s Back Page Lead again the minor placegetter, Smart Valentino back in fifth place and Fancy Liza failing to beat a runner home.
The Victorians were expected to dominate the Evans & Son Jewellers Ladies Bracelet on May 4 with Xylia Allen, Purcell Bale and Langi Bale all making the final.
But NSW ran the quinella with Sharron Webster’s Lagoon Lowanna leading all-the-way to defeat the Ken Staines-trained Montana Izmir.
The Victorians had their revenge in the final of the Group 1 Peter Mosman Classic on June 15 when Xylia Allen, trained by Graeme Bate for Paul Wheeler, improved on her third placing to Lagoon Lowanna in the Ladies Bracelet by leading throughout.
The Graeme Bate/Paul Wheeler combination also secured second prizemoney with Schroder Bale, who finished eight lengths ahead of third placegetter, Jane Carruthers' Triggsy.
Stayers held sway again on September 14 when Victoria’s Proven Impala, by far the veteran of the field at 47 months of age, scored her 31st win in 77 starts in Wentworth Park’s Chairman’s Cup final.
She easily held off late surges by Smart Valentino and Lucy Wires to win in a sizzling 42.01.
A fortnight later it was all Victoria in the Bob Payne Spring Sprint when Peter Hunt’s Gold Town held off a fast finish from Xylia Allen to win in a blistering 29.59. The Peter Lagogiane trained Lucks Changed was the first NSW finisher, taking out third placing.
Lucy Wires took 42.57 to win the 720m Bohemia Crystal Sydney Cup on October 12 but her run was phenomenal, as she was badly checked at the first turn and was still back in fourth place at the top of the straight.
The Vic Peters Classic was first run at Harold Park in 1951 and NSW’s most time honoured classic was taken out on November 9 by Belfast Johnny, who gave Blacktown hobby trainer Troy Vella a dream start to his career.
Belfast Johnny not only led throughout to win by a big space, but he smashed the race record by clocking 29.63 in the process.
Australia was almost certainly heralding a new long distance star when Victoria’s Dyna Willow overcame a check on the back straight to win the Schweppes Summer Cup on December 7.
Dyna Willow’s 41.92 broke Bell Haven’s race record and she defeated Smart Valentino, who had been last at one stage, and the Robert Mumford trained Set To Shine, who was hampered approaching the home bend.
NSW-trained greyhounds ended the year on a high when Garry Edwards’ Double Twist came from a seemingly impossible position to run down Graeme Barnett’s super consistent Edge in the RIP John Stollery Christmas Gift at Wentworth Park on December 14.
Double Twist had just one rival behind her going into the first turn yet was still able to record 29.87, which compared well with the race record of 29.43, set by Noble Pedro in 2011 and, at that time, a Wentworth Park 520m track record.
While the final Group 1 winner for 2013 Paw Licking is trained in Victoria by Kel Greenough, the race record-breaking victor of the Hobart Thousand is owned in the NSW northern rivers by retired bricklayer Allan Lang.
The Hobart Thousand was first held in 1935, and its NSW-trained winners have included Sue Narila, Benjamin John, Black Aztec and Brother Fox.
