It probably wouldn’t be the best way to thank Frank and Tracey Hurst for encouraging him to nominate, but their good friend Peter Carr now believes he has the chance to upset the Hurst’s superstar Good Odds Harada this Saturday at Wentworth Park.
The Hursts and Carr both had finalists in last Thursday’s Group 1 Beteasy Megastar at Dapto, Good Odds Harada would take the $75,000 first prize, while Carr’s Jimmy Casey produced a fabulous run to grab third place.
The trio began speaking about the upcoming Group 3 Christmas Gift at Wentworth Park, a race in a new format which will see just four dogs clash. While Frank and Tracey’s dog, as the winner of the TAB Million Dollar Chase, alReady had a berth, Carr was hesitant to even nominate his own Million Dollar Chase finalist.
“Frank Hurst said to me at Dapto, you would be mad if you don’t put Jimmy in that,” Carr recalled. “But I was worried what sort of dogs they would get for the race, and whether I would even get a run.
“I can’t tell you how excited I was when I clicked on the email a few minutes ago to see the draws for the meeting, and Jimmy got a run in the race along with Good Odds Harada, Feral Franky and Embye.”
Good Odds Harada has drawn the one, Jimmy Casey the three, Feral Franky the five and Embye the seven.
“The small field, it definitely suits him. But there’s an old saying, you put them in small fields and they get in trouble … but it’s got to suit him, the way he races.
“This is my big chance for him to really run the race of his life against The Feral and Good Odds, and Embye is no slouch either, and, you know what … I think he can beat them.
“They are all sensational dogs, and it will be a fantastic race, but I think he’s got a great chance.”
The run in the Megastar was exceptional. He was turned sidewards soon after the start, was again badly checked at the first turn, was last up the back, before rattling home in 13.34s (Good Odds Harada came home in 13.55s, three lengths slower) to grab third place.
And Carr explained there was even more merit in the run.
“He pulled up with a bruise on the inside leg near his buttock,” Carr said. “It was a really deep bruise, and I think the only place he could have got that was when Jamella Jet chucked a right turn and spun him soon after the jumped. He hit him hard there with the muzzle.
“But he’s alright, he wasn’t lame but it was a deep bruising – about seven or eight inches long and two to three inches wide - but it’s healed up, and he’s bucking his brains out.
“I gave him a run in the sprint lane here today and he’s great. Ready to go.”
Carr is based at St Fillans west of Sydney, and just north of MUDGEE, and like most of the state has been hit by smoke from bushfires nearby.
“It has stopped me training some days all the smoke,” Carr said. “I’ve come out a few mornings to get them and got to my back door and it was choking, snowing with ash. I was really worried about their health and you have to really look after them in these conditions.
“It’s hazy now but thankfully not as thick as it has been.
“One of the boys said to me you might have trouble getting through to Sydney later in the week. I said don’t say that - I’ll go the long way through Newcastle if I have to. Nothing is stopping me from getting there on Saturday night.”
In the Christmas Cheer, a Group 3 four dog race for the stayers, Veloce Nero has drawn one, China O’Brien the three, Newcastle Cup winner Just Terms the five, and Blue Moon Rising the seven.
