Feature in Flying Form Ahead Of Maitland Cup

You’d be hard pressed to find a more in form greyhound at the minute than the David Smith-trained Got The Feature.

In fact, there are only two dogs in the entire country who have won more races this calendar year.

13 starts at five different tracks have produced eight race wins and three minor placings in 2023 for the son of Fernando Bale, and on Friday night, he will step out in his first feature final - the Group 2 Maitland Gold Cup.

“That stat surprises me, but it sure is interesting,” Smith said.

“Obviously young and talented dogs going through the grades are going to find more races to win. It’s very hard for a free for all dog to win that many races in a short space because every start is against top liners, but he [Got The Feature] has been going good,” Smith admits.

“I’ve tried to place him well. We ran him through a bunch of fifth grade heats and finals around the State, he got a lot of good draws too (eight starts in Box 1 or 8), and we had our fair share of luck in races. But I guess all our ducks have been in a row,” he added.

Got The Feature, a half-brother to French Martini (Group 2 winner) and Ice Cream Story (who Smith also trained and was a Group 1 finalist), produced one of the best heat performances last Thursday night at the Maitland Showground, overcoming some interference to win in a time of 25.06.

The time qualifying him fifth fastest for the $40,000-to-the-winner final this Friday, March 17.

A feat Smith said looked forlorn several months ago.

“He was hopeless as a pup and even couldn’t break 18 [seconds] at Dapto. Then slowly, he started to come good. I trialled him at Maitland a few times ahead of the Future Stars series last October and he went alright, so we threw him in, and he made the final,” Smith said.

“He was just a slow learner, I guess. He took a while to work out how to chase, then took a bit to work out he could run fast, then he took a while to learn how to run in a field. He’s developed a lot in a short space of time, but he’ll need to step up again on Friday,” Smith said.

A win in the 20th edition of the race would ensure Got The Feature’s ownership group is one step closer to a ‘triple crown’ of Hunter feature finals as well.

The R One syndicate - comprising Michael Jones, his wife Michelle, her brother Nigel Lewis, and the couples three kids Blake, Amber and Hayley – dreaming of Maitland Cup success for a long time.

“We live at Nabiac, but before Taree became a TAB track, our local tracks were Maitland and The Gardens and I always wanted to win their three feature races - the Newcastle Cup, the Black Top, and the Maitland Cup,” Michael Jones said.

“When you’re sitting up all night whelping pups, or spending seven days a week looking after them, or sitting on the ride on mower for hours at a time cleaning the place up, you dream of winning feature races, of winning Group races.

“We won the Black Top with Bye Bye Bucks in 2012, Ice Cream Story went within 20m of winning the Newcastle Cup two years ago, now we get a crack at the Maitland Cup as well,” Jones said.

The owner of retired superstars My Bro Fabio and Super Estrella confident he has the dog in the right kennel for success. 

“We know it won’t be easy, but we’ve got a chance now, and it’d be really special to do it with DAVE [Smith]. He is a great trainer, his mum and his family put a lot of hard work in. And to do it with this guy [Got The Feature] would make the wife extra happy because the dog is her best friend,” Jones said.

“Michelle has loved him since he was a pup and he just picked her out as the one he wanted to be close with, and they’ve been that way ever since. My daughters [Amber, 18 and Hayley, 15] are real animal lovers too, they love handling and catching the dogs, so they’ll all go off the races and I’ll stay home to do what needs to be done around here,” he added.

Michelle given the task of handling Got The Feature in Friday’s final, with Michael confident the girls can bring home the bacon.

“My daughters are a great help and they’ll be pretty excited, but my wife is the best there is, so she deserves to be front and centre. I couldn’t do anything without her, she’s just amazing and I hope the dog can win for her,” Jones said.

“The three of them get a real thrill out of going to the track and I don’t think DAVE [Smith] will be there on Friday either, so if we’re lucky enough to win, one of the girls might have to step up and do some talking,” he laughed.