Menangle Park trainer Ray Steele is philosophical about his finalists Ray">Lady RonRay and Ray-spirit">RonRay Spirit drawing boxes five and seven respectively in Wednesday’s Clarence Valley Sheds Taylor Family Maiden Classic at Grafton.
“It doesn’t matter what box you get in a Hot field like this," Steele said. "If you don’t begin you don’t win.
“But Christine Oldfield’s finalist Spring Missile seems inclined to veer left at the start and he has box six. While he might crowd Lady RonRay he could help RonRay Spirit get a good run early.’’
RonRay Spirit won his heat in 22.94, equal fastest qualifying time, while his litter sister clocked 23.01.
“In trials before I came north RonRay Spirit was always a bit quicker," Steele said. "But when I gave them a look at Grafton before last Monday’s heats Lady RonRay clocked 23.17 and her brother ran 23.20.
“But RonRay Spirit didn’t handle the first turn too well in his trial.
“They have potential because they have just turned 18 months old, but my belief has always been that if they are good enough they are old enough.’’
Steele and his wife Irina bred their Grafton finalists from RonRay Disco, who won 15 short course races for them in NEW ZEALAND.
Her first litter included smart trio RonRay Fury, Ray-miss">RonRay Miss and RonRay Rebel while the Grafton duo are from RonRay Disco’s second whelping.
Ray Steele’s previous visit to the renowned Grafton winter carnival was in 1975!
XXXX
“Plenty of work’’ is the reason Grand Solution has become stronger and goes into next Friday’s Gosford to Wenty final as far and away the fastest qualifier.
The Bev and Ken Wood-owned and trained bitch led throughout to clock a sizzling 29.67 in her heat last Tuesday and connections do not intend to trial the big 30kg bitch at Wentworth Park.
“We seldom trial at Wenty before racing there and if Grand Solution draws inside she will be hard to beat,’’ Ken Wood said.
“Two weeks ago at Gosford she drew box five and nearly pushed the dogs drawn in two, three and four into the running rail because she heads left at the start.
“Grand Solution used to get leg weary but I’ve given her plenty of work, comprising races and trials over 450 metres at Maitland, to improve her stamina.
“Maitland doesn’t suit Grand Solution who goes better on a track like Gosford but it has helped her overcome her leg weariness at the end of her races.’’
Grand Solution is a litter sister to Ken and Bev’s Wentworth Park 720m winner Za’ma Beauty, who has been sidelined with tonsillitis.
“She had a course of antibiotics but after that ended the tonsils blew up again so we had them removed,’’ Ken said.
XXXX
It's one thing to land a winning double but Northern Rivers trainer Evelyn Harris went one better at Gosford on Tuesday night by training the quinella in two 400m races.
Harris's Consistent speedster Hot Bonus defeated kennelmate Black Nat Bonus in 23.07 while in a later race her Set Black Magic downed another Harris-trained greyhound, Magic Of Bonus, in a slick 23.01.
But Evelyn wasn’t done with and 24 hours later took out a heat of the Village Green Sprinters Cup at Grafton with the star of her kennel, Magic Display, who notched her 16th win in 39 starts.
Magic Display’s 22.96 run for the 407m was just .20 slower than the time standard recorded by Chant, trained by Queensland maestro Tony Brett.
“I was rapt with Magic Display because she usually doesn’t run fast time at Grafton,’’ Harris said.
“But Wednesday’s final is going to be tough because Tony Brett holds a strong hand with Chant and also with Exhibitionist, who won in 23.04 in his heat.
“When the draw came out for Gosford I was unhappy because I not only had two dogs in one race, but had kennelmates clashing in each of two separate races.
“But I can hardly whinge now after getting both quinellas can I?’’
