Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg
He had twice trained placegetters in the Golden Easter Egg with Banner Park back in 2001 who finished third behind Brett Lee, and Sometimes Speedy who was second to Grigorieva Bale back in 2013, but finally on Saturday night leading NSW trainer Jason MACKAY fulfilled an ambition by taking out the 2019 Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg with his talented bitch Zipping Bailey.
In one of the most remarkable runs in the history of the race, Zipping Bailey was a distinct last at the post the first time, three lengths behind the second last dog, and spotting the leader, the favourite Federal Lilly, the best part of 10 lengths.
But sticking to the rail she found a way through into fourth up the back, then rattled after the leaders, charging down the straight and overhauling Federal Lilly to claim victory and the $250,000 prize for connections in 29.92s, an overall time which included a stunning run home time of 11.40s, the fastest in the memory of long time track touts.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have a few runners in the (Easter Egg) final over the years - I’ve had no luck, had a few favourites and bombed out - I ran third in it one year (Banner Park) to Brett Lee, and I think that just triggered something in me to make me really push for this,” MACKAY said. “When you’re a kid growing up, all you ever dreamed of was to come to an Easter Egg night and watch it. It’s the ant’s pants race.
“It’s hard it put that into perspective but that was something else that run. That’s a special little bitch, to pick herself up like that and get home.
“But she never gives in and she’s got that barnstorming finish and that’s how it played today.”
Watch the 2019 Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg Final here.
No Tears just smiles and a Group win for Veloce Nero
It was anticipated that Wentworth Park would be hit by another Tornado on Saturday night but this time the new track record holder, Tornado Tears, wasn’t himself, and the Group 1 GBOTA Association Cup final went to the John Finn-trained Veloce Nero (pictured).
In the heats last week Tornado Tears shattered the track record with a stunning 41.38s performance, but suffered a torn pad in the run, and sadly for his supporters, he re-inured the pad on Saturday night in the final.
Up the front of the field it was Veloce Nero, leading throughout and claiming her first group victory.
Before Saturday, Veloce Nero was the only member of the Fernando Bale-Chica Destacada litter - which includes Poco Dorado, Two Times Twice and Blue Moon Rising - to have not won a Group race but that was rectified with the 41.90s victory.
A great run from the Ray Smith-trained Little Digger saw him claim second, with Victorian Dyna Chancer filling third for trainer Correy Grenfell.
Watch Veloce Nero’s Association Cup win here.
Magic Maiden
The Chica Destacada bloodlines are blueblood lines in greyhound racing at present. We all know the exploits of her first litter by Fernando Bale – Poco Dorado, Blue Moon Rising, Two Times Tiwce and of course the Association Cup winner Veloce Nero - now the next litter, by one of our leading sires Barcia Bale, have made their stamp producing a Group winner at Wenty on Saturday.
Six pups from the litter – all owned by the Dee & Pee Syndicate of Dennis Donoghue and Peter McDermott – were in the final of the Group 3 Ladbrokes Magic Maiden on Saturday, and the first four across the line were brothers and sisters.
The winner was Timeless Moment, trained by Kerry Drynan, whose mother Doreen trained Chica Destacada.
“Oh she would be so happy. She is always happy when the breed is doing well,” Kerry said of her mother. “To be honest I didn’t think she could get across from out there (box 7), but she showed a lot of guts to win.”
Timeless Moment, despite clocking the fastest time of the semi-finalists, wasn‘t among the main fancies mainly due to the wide draw, but she pinged out and was into second at the first turn, then overpowered her sister Making A Memory, and held off another sister, favourite Really Unreal, to win in 30.03s and claim the big prize. Really Unreal was second, Making A Memory third and sibling Blue Summer Sky was fourth.
Watch Timesless Moment’s Magic Maiden win here.
Jamella a Jet in the Ambrosoli
He finished second in the world’s richest greyhound race six months ago, and now Jamella Jet is a Group winner after collecting the spoils in Saturday’s The Ambrosoli.
The Ambrosoli, the Group 3 consolation event for runners finishing third and fourth in the Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg semi-finals, was a star-studded line-up including Jamella Jet’s conqueror in last October’s GRNSW + Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase, Mystic Riot, but when Jamella Jet found his way into third spot out of the straight the first time, he was always going to be hard to hold out.
Trained by father and son combination Andrew and Adam Crouch, Jamella Jet has had just 23 starts for 10 wins and eight placings. On Saturday, he clocked 29.88s in running down Victorian Fabwik with odds-on favourite Fernando Blaster - who had been perfectly placed in second going out of the straight - unable to match the finishing burst of the winner, and having to be satisfied with third.
“It’s good for him to have picked up his first Group win. Even to have a dog racing on this night is great, so to win a race is fantastic,” Adam Crouch said. “I closed my eyes as they went into the first turn, but when he got clear down the back, I was confident.”
Adam, who said Jamella Jet is “pretty much back to his best now,” added they will now consider taking Jamella Jet to Sandown in Victoria for a shot at the upcoming Speed Star series.
Watch Jamella Jet win the Ambrosoli here
Franky’s a New Sensation
Forbes-trainer Ray Smith, not only produced the runner-up in the Group 1 Association Cup final with Little Digger, and had Irinka Lizzy in the Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg final, but he also won a Group event on the big night when Feral Franky took out the Group 3 New Sensation.
A noted slow beginner, Feral Franky was able to avoid the first turn scrimmage, rail through into second spot and from there it was just a matter of whether he could run down the leader, Nangar Diva.
He did, clocking 29.87s to hold off the fast-finishing King Cratos with Nangar Diva hanging on for third.
“There looked to be a bit of trouble on the first turn, and once he got through I thought we were in with a good chance from there,” Smith said.
In the night’s other feature, Jason Magri’s Zipping Falcon took out the Listed Ultra Sense in a fast time of 29.74s.
Watch Feral Franky winning the New Sensation here
Nominations close soon for the Ladbrokes Gold Muzzle
The success of the Barcia Bale-Chica Destacada litter in the Group 3 Ladbrokes Magic Maiden, with the first four placegetters - led by the winner Timesless Moment – coming from the litter, has buyers salivating about the upcoming Ladbrokes Gold Muzzle Auction.
It has been confirmed that three of the six-month-old pups from the Fernando Bale-Chica Destacada litter – one dog and two bitches – will be offered at the Auction on June 23 at Richmond Racetrack, with their breeders, Peter McDermott and Dennis Donoghue, already indicating they will be sold.
Nominations have been flowing in for the Auction which is open to pups whelped between July 1, 2018 and January 31, 2019, and restricted to a maximum of just 150 nominations. Pups sold at the Auction will be eligible to nominate for two Golden Muzzle race series' that will be conducted in 2020, which the feature event at Wentworth Park offering $40,000 to the winner of the final.
Breeders should note that nominations for the Auction will close on April 30.
Read the details of the Golden Muzzle Auctions here
GAP National Adoption Day looming
Next Sunday is the big day.
National Adoption Day will be held around the country next Sunday, April 28, with the NSW event to be held at Wentworth Park between 10am and 2pm.
The day was a major success both nationally and locally in 2018, with 42 greyhounds finding forever homes as a result of Wentworth Park event, and we are hoping to better that record number again this year.
For more information on greyhound adoption head to the www.gapnsw.com.au
