Northern Rivers speedster CASH Master continued his winning ways at Grafton over the weekend, with the son of CASHpot claiming his thirteenth race win from just 22 career starts.
But it’s not just on the track where he continues to make tongues wag, with his owners, Robert Cooke and Patrick Gainey, turning down a quarter of a million dollar offer for the rising star just months after knocking back $150,000.
“Someone offered us $150,000 earlier this year. Then we got another phone call from a good Sydney trainer not long ago who was representing an owner of his. He offered us $200,000 with a fifty grand bonus if he won a Group 1,” Cooke, who also trains the dog, said.
“Pat [Gainey] has been in the game for around 15 years and never had a great dog and I’ve been waiting years to get a great one and all they want to do is buy it off ya,” he laughed.
“We just don’t need the money and I’d rather have a really good dog,” he added.
And a good dog they have.
A winner of the Group 3 Grafton Cup two starts back and the current 350m track record holder at the circuit, CASH Master ran a blistering 25.15 over the Grafton 450m on Sunday to defeat Cup placegetter Commands Respect by 4.25 lengths.
The victory a perfect tune up for a tilt at the riches on offer over the Queensland Winter Carnival in the coming weeks.
“I just hope he holds together and we can contest some big races together because he’s good enough to win one, we just need everything to go our way,” Cooke said.
“He’s Queensland bred and they have a lot of races for any dog bred up that way that pay pretty good. There’s a $40,000 race on next week for example that we’ll prob aim for but I think the big goal is the Brisbane Cup in July,” he added.
CASH Master streaking away in the 2023 Group 3 Grafton Cup final
The breeder, Patrick Gainey, more than comfortable with the pair’s decision to turn down the pair of rich offers.
“If he doesn’t win another race, that’s all good, sometimes it’s all about the gamble. Some people will say “you’re an absolute idiot”, other people agree they would not sell him for anything. I will admit I never thought we’d field offers like this though,” Gainey said.
“He got a bit of attention just before Christmas when he ran 29.58 at Albion Park and the first offer came in soon after. I’ve sold a few dogs since then and I keep telling people everything is for sale for the right price, that’s when the $200,000 offer with the bonus came in for CASH Master,” he said.
Gainey so far thrilled with the litter out of brood bitch CASHpot - with the seven dogs to have raced winning 33% of their 128 starts.
“Cookey gave me CASHpot to breed with and she was a litter sister to Cash In Motion who won the National Futurity in 2016. Cash In Motion placed in the G1 Sapphire Crown too and the litter brother, Major Jackpot, made four Group finals as well. CASHpot also threw Cash View who won the 2021 Lismore Cup and is the 450m track record at Grafton,” Gainey said.
“So I took her [CASHpot] to Aston Dee Bee because I just think he throws great chasers and we went halves in the pups. I whelped them and we sent them to Johnny Martin’s at Casino to be broken in and there was three in the litter who did not have much between them. Cashed Up Johnny could run and Cashed Up Ashton broke in the quickest but neither has been as good a race dog as CASH Master,” he added.
CASH Master living up to his name on and off the track so far, with his prizemoney haul of $88,430 somewhat offsetting the decision to turn down a couple of big pay days.
“It’s a lot of money to offer for a dog but there are a lot of rich races all over the country now and prizemoney has never been better. With his fair share of luck, he could be competitive in some big ones and that’d give me and Cookey a greater thrill than selling him and taking the CASH,” Gainey said.
