Talented sprinter Cawborne Marty not only maintained his unbeaten record at Dapto on Thursday night, but completed a fantastic evening for in-form training team of the JODIE and Andy Lord.
The Lords have been in tremendous form around the State in recent weeks, and last night captured the $10,000 to the winner Dapto Maiden Final, but that was a prequel to a great run from Cawborne Marty in wining his heat of the TAB Million Dollar Chase.
Dapto was making its debut as a Million Dollar Chase venue last night, with three quality heats on the card, but it was the performance of Cawborne Marty which was the standout.
Having his sixth start at the South Coast circuit, having won the previous five, Cawborne Marty stalked the leader Caviar Quality then powered the lead heading out of the back and raced away for a comfortable 2½ length win from Good Odds BUDDY, yet another sibling of Feral Franky, in the best time of the night, 29.80s.
The run of Good Odds BUDDY was stunning. He was turned on his side soon after the jump, then checked again on the first turn, but somehow found his way into fourth place up the back and ran home strongly to finish second posting 29.98s, the second best time of the three heats.
Kraken Spike also ran a great race to grab third, just a half head behind BUDDY.
“He’s got to be one of the most consistent dogs in training,” Andy Lord said of his dog which hasn’t missed a place in his last 17 outings. “He’s just a really good Chaser.
“He’s been racing good dogs all the way through. His box manners let him down a bit but he seems to find his way through the field and he’s just a good little dog.
“Dapto has been good to him and you wouldn’t think a dog like him, who misses it, would get around there so well, but he does.
“He’s just the sort of dog who, as he goes along, he finds a little bit each time, and that’s all you need to do.”
A year ago trainer David Smith took out a heat and a regional final of the Million Dollar Chase with Zippy Ethics at Nowra, and at Dapto he doubled his Chase heat tally and will look to double his regional final tally next week.
My Bro’s Ethics jumped to lead, and then just refused to be run down, holding off all challengers to clock 30.07s, win his heat and qualify for next Thursday’s final.
Milla Jean flashed late to grab second two lengths away, and also secure a place in final, with Feral Franky’s sister Good Odds Meghan a close up third, just a neck away.
Boom youngster Lightning VISION was favourite and expected to be a huge show in his first run in open company, but after jumping only fairly, he couldn’t cross on the first turn, was checked and that was effectively the end of his race, eventually finishing seventh.
Mark Ballantine’s Furious Not Fast looked in trouble on the first turn, receiving a check, but it didn’t end her hopes, and she rattled home to score well in 29.98s, the same figures as Good Odds BUDDY.
Show Business for the Lords’ was second with Curacao in third place.
The box draw for the final was conducted last night as is: 1 Show Business 2 Good Odds BUDDY 3 Milla Jean 4 My Bro’s Ethics 5 Kraken Spike 6 Cawborne Marty 7 Furious Not Fast 8 Curacao 9 Good Odds Meghan 10 Salute To Excel.
