The 53rd running of the National Derby gets under way on January 24 so it was fitting that bush trainer Steve Cleary, who landed the 2002 Derby, should snare a winning double at Bathurst last Monday.
Cleary, who trains a team of seven at WOODSTOCK, 22km from Cowra, won a pair of 307m sprints with litter brother and sister Myalla Monaro and Myalla Nitro.
But he had his finest moment in greyhound racing when his brilliant front runner Medinah scored an upset all-the-way win in the Derby final at Wentworth Park.
“Since winning the Derby I had sold my property at WOODSTOCK and moved to Richmond but the traffic there sent me crazy so I returned to the bush,’’ Cleary said.
“Currently I am training on a house block but am in the process of buying another property at WOODSTOCK to set up as a greyhound establishment.
“Myalla Monaro, who has won five from 19 starts and won in 17.94 at Bathurst, will run 500 metres for sure.
“He turns two next month but has had toe problems and a fractured fibula which is why he has been racing in sprints.
“I’m not sure whether Myalla Nitro will get 500 metres but she can run 400 and has been going so well over the shorts I haven’t tested her further.
“She has won five from 25 starts and clocked a smart 17.69 at Bathurst on Monday.’’
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Lochinvar Holly, who has shaped brilliantly in four performance trials at Gosford, Maitland and The Gardens, makes her eagerly anticipated race debut in heat one of the Macro Meats Maiden Series at Wentworth Park tonight.
At her first public appearance Lochinvar Holly led throughout to defeat Bent Ability, a subsequent Wentworth Park placegetter, in a 515m Gosford trial on October 7, clocking 29.87.
She then went solo in 25.36 over 450m at Maitland before leading all the way for a 12 lengths 400m trial win at Gosford on Boxing Night, posting a slick 22.87.
Her preparation for tonight’s race was topped off with an 18 lengths trial win over 515m at The Gardens on January 3 in a fast 29.79.
“Lochinvar Holly’s early trials were to build her up enough to run a strong 520 metres because I was getting her ready for the last $10,000 to the final winner maiden series at Wentworth Park," trainer Robert Smith said.
“But she missed that race because she hurt herself so I had to put her away and wait for this series.
“The Gordon family, who own her, purchased Lochinvar Holly’s dam Midnight Dreamer from David Pringle and this bitch is from her first litter.’’
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Queensland trainer Dave Irwin, who won the 2000 National Derby with rank outsider Fond Regards, has Fancy Dancer and Fancy Arjo in heats one and two of tonight’s Wentworth Park Maiden series.
Fancy Arjo has abundant ability and was sent out a $1.80 favourite when a solid finishing third to Frank Hancock’s Lady Abigail in a heat of the 420m K9 Vet Reproduction Maiden Classic at Lismore on December 9.
Irwin is currently training out of Maudsland, in Queensland, but returns to NSW shortly.
“I am building a house at Grafton and have been back and forth between there and Maudsland for the past few weeks,’’ Irwin said.
Perhaps the most interesting runner at Wentworth Park tonight is National Derby hopeful Rivergum Drive, who has come up with a horror box seven draw in the fourth and fifth grade Ladbrokes Stakes.
Rivergum Drive’s owner Nick Vescio refused several huge offers for the dog after he won first-up at WP on December 19 in a blistering 29.72.
But the Wayne Attwill-trained youngster has found severe interference in two subsequent runs, from box four at Wentworth Park and last Tuesday at Gosford from box seven.
After the Gosford race Attwill remarked: “It looks like Rivergum Drive is a dead-set box one, two or three greyhound.’’
