Shannon Ellis has been training greyhounds for just 18 months but on Saturday achieved what hundreds of more experienced trainers have not been able to do - landing a winning double at Wentworth Park.
Ellis won the opening event with all-the-way winner Crazy Cosmos and was back in the winner’s circle 23 minutes later when Booming Bennett also led throughout.
“There was a lot of speed inside Crazy Cosmos and as she had box eight I knew she would have to break 5.40 seconds to the first mark to be able to lead," Ellis said.
“She surprised even me by clocking 5.37 but it was lucky she did because even then she only just managed to clear her rivals at the first turn.
“Booming Bennett uses a bit of the track but is far better suited by an inside box.
“He drew box two tonight and he has never been beaten from that draw.
“Booming Bennett is crying out for 600 metres and his run home Time at the end of tonight’s 520m of 11.66 seconds proves this.’’
Shannon has eight greyhounds in work at tiny Oura, near Wagga, and has become a regular at making the 10-hour round trip to Wentworth Park.
He trains Crazy Cosmos and Booming Bennett for Sydney owners and on Monday heads to Shepparton, Victoria, where believes he has a couple of live chances.
Zola Icon was almost in the spelling yard instead of racing at Wentworth Park on Saturday night but trainer Robert Sullivan noticed heats of a bitches only race being advertised so decided to “throw her into’’ the meeting.
Just as well as Zola Icon, handled by Robert’s wife Marien, snared the $4350 first prizemoney and now goes into this week’s final.
“Zola Icon goes better at Richmond than at Wenty but we haven’t been able to get a draw with her there so we were going to give her a little spell,’’ Marien said on Saturday.
“But when Robert saw the bitches only race programmed we decided to give her another shot at Wentworth Park.’’
For the first Time Marien took Zola Icon from her kennel at Bargo to Sydney wearing a compression vest and she believes the “suit’’ helped the greyhound relax while stuck in traffic.
After Ritza Raider had registered his fifth Wentworth Park win on Saturday night, part-owner Daniel Gatt revealed he and his brother, trainer Mark, had almost sold the dog.
“He was on the market for $24,000 and someone was keen to get him but wouldn’t budge past $22,000,’’ Daniel said.
“We decided not to drop the price and now we’re glad we did.’’
Ritza Raider is renowned as a dog which likes to run in the middle of the track but on Saturday night he scraped the inside rail, coming from sixth at the first turn and third on the back straight to win easily.
“He is more comfortable out wide but the beauty of him is that if there is a run on the rails he will take it,’’ Mark said.
An enforced month’s lay-off due to a minor injury helped Tainted Luke land his fourth win in seven Wentworth Park starts on Saturday night.
Tainted Luke led throughout and just lasted to win by a nose from veteran Minza Red One in 30.03, only .08 outside his personal best Wentworth Park Time.
“Tainted Luke had an injury on the top of his shoulder after he raced at Wentworth Park on May 31 so had a month off," trainer Jenny Brown said.
“I had been thinking about giving him a short letup anyway so the break did him the world of good.’’
And while ZIPPING Willow’s 29.82 was a long way wide of her personal best, near record Wentworth Park Time of 29.35, her win on Saturday was equal to any of her previous 13 wins at the track.
ZIPPING Willow had pinged the lids in her 29.35 win a week earlier but on Saturday night bungled the start from box six and had to work to be fourth in the middle stages before pouncing on the lead approaching the home turn.
She came away in the straight, leaving a top class field in her wake.
See you next week!
