A Double 50 Years In The Making

By Jeff Collerson
My Hepburn and Whiskey Cobbler, bred, owned and trained by Susan Smith, gave their trainer her first Wentworth Park winning double in 50 years when they won consecutive races on Saturday night.

My Hepburn led all the way to win a 520m fifth grade in 29.96 and 18 minutes later her kennelmate Whiskey Cobbler took the lead at the half-way mark to easily win a fourth grade in 29.71.

Smith said later: "I'm now 72 and began training greyhounds when I was 22 so this is a special thrill.

"It is even more exciting because my two winners tonight were produced by litter sisters which my partner John Miles and I own.

"My Hepburn is out of My Sapphire while Whiskey Cobbler is a son of Agnetha, and those two bitches were daughters of Blue Thunda, who won 18 of 23 starts for John.

"Whiskey Cobbler used to run his best races at Maitland and earlier in his career he tended to be a bit clumsy but he has settled down and is going better than ever.''

Whiskey Cobbler's 29.71 was just .01sec outside the fastest time of the night, posted by the Andy Lord-trained Nangar Larry, who wasn't headed in notching his first Wentworth Park win in a 520m fifth grade.


Also landing a winning double at Wentworth Park on Saturday night was Courtney Barnes, the daughter-in-law of champion trainer Minnie Finn.

Barnes has become an important part of the Finn kennels at Cranebrook since the recent death of Minnie Finn's husband, legendary trainer John Finn.

On Saturday Courtney Barnes won with Winsome Shelby in 29.99 before scoring with Charlee's Dream in 30.11.

Not to be outdone, Minnie Finn trained Great Flash, who won the opening event by over six lengths in 30.13.

Great Flash is owned and was bred by Noelene Holloway, another successful trainer, who revealed later: "When this litter by Aussie Infrared from my bitch Esther's Diva were whelped in February last year I knew I would not be able to train all of them.

"I asked Minnie if she would take one or two and when I sent her a photo of a black dog pup she got back to me saying 'I hope that one is mine' and sure enough, it is the dog which now races as Great Flash.''


Saturday night's Free-For-All was billed as a likely thriller and it went to script, with the Chris O'Brien-trained Quantifiable bouncing in front from box one and leading all the way in 29.80.

Her litter sister and kennelmate Mortified again dwelt at the start but ran a mighty race to overhaul Agland Luai on the back straight before narrowly failing to catch Quantifiable at the finish.

Quantifiable hung on to score by a half length from Mortified with Agland Luai a head away third.

After the race Chris O'Brien said: "Mortified has now missed the jump twice since hitting her head on the boxes at Wenty on October 21 so maybe I should take her away from this track for a while.

"By the same token Quantifiable is just doing everything right at the moment.''

Quantifiable's early splits of 5.40 and 13.74 were outstanding on Saturday night and those blistering early figures won her the race.


Later in the night Our Mechanic gave trainer David Lewis his first ever city winner when he won the 520m Masters Stakes in a slick 29.99.

Closest Lewis had come previously to landing a winner at Wentworth Park was in March, 2017, when his bitch Myrniong Angel finished second.