When the nominations for the Group 1 National Derby were received two weeks ago, most expected that Victorian Simon Told Helen would play a part in the final. Little did anyone realise at the time what part that would be, and how significant as well.
Simon Told Helen was favourite for the final, but 48 hours before the race, had to be scratched after being bitten by a spider. That allowed the first reserve, the Troy Donaldson-trained Oh Mickey, to gain a start. But that wasn’t the end of the story.
The scratching of finalist Aston Sapporo and second reserve Zipping Vernon, meant that Oh Mickey would be randomly drawn in either box four vacated by Simon Told Helen, or Aston Sapporo’s box seven.
But wait there is more …
On the morning of the race, Here Comes Joe had to be scratched, after he too was bitten by a suspected spider, leaving box one vacant. After the random draw, Oh Mickey got the rails alley, and as they say in the classics - and the National Derby is a Classic - the rest was history.
Oh Mickey drove through to lead around the first turn, and would not be headed, winning the blue riband event in 29.91s from Poacher and Rampant Jimmy with odds-on favourite Hard Style Rico in fourth.
“It’s not nice seeing those great dogs get scratched, especially that champion (Simon Told Helen) get scratched, but that’s part of it,” owner Clint Kratzmann, who made the trip down from Queensland for the race, said after the win.
“We’ve all had plenty of bad luck, Troy’s had plenty, I’ve had plenty of bad luck, but we had a nice lucky run this week where everything fell into place, and it just fell into place big time right then.
”You want to win races, that’s what greyhound racing is about, plus the enjoyment and the relationships. Troy and I are people who want to achieve.
“We set a plan two months ago. I said to Troy I’ve got a nice dog out of Iona Champion (who Troy raced) I want to send down now for a couple of months. I’ve got total trust in Troy, he’s the perfect man for the job, and … we just pulled it off.“
Donaldson who trains on the Central Coast of NSW at Wyee, was “humbled” by the victory in the Group 1.
“I’m excited. It’s great to win a Group race, and a Group 1 but there’s a lot of hard work that goes in,” he said. “I’m very humbled, but so excited … it’s sensational.”
Asked where the immediate future lies with Oh Mickey, Kratzmann said; “We have to be intelligent, both of us. We don’t want to run into Feral (Franky) and those (top grade) dogs. He’s only 22 months of age.
“We got to mature him and when I take him home, I’ll keep him down in grade a bit and let him mature. He’s only a baby.”
When put to him that his dog is now a Group 1 winner, Kratzmann replied: “Its not just a Group 1, it’s the National Derby.”
