The win of Saint Rock in last week’s Metal Worx Mixed Stake (600 metres) at Tara Raceway continued the successful run Mortlake owner-trainer Paul Herry has enjoyed with reasonably-priced purchases from Bendigo’s Ready 2 Race Sale.
The annual sale allows prospective purchasers the opportunity to witness all lots competing under race conditions before an auction taking place.
Herry picked up Saint Rock for $1000 after he had run third in a final over 425 metres. The highest price paid on the day was $31,000.
Three years ago, Herry, one of the good guys of greyhound racing, won the Sims Memorial Maiden at Tara Raceway with Got Some Cheek, a Ready 2 Race purchase.
Later, he won races with another auction purchase in Miss Klara. Saint Rock, a son of Peter Rocket and Maisy Mac – a litter sister to former top chaser Zambora Brockie – was originally also trained by his owner for his first 30-odd starts.
“I did not win a race although he did run a few placings,” Herry said. “Actually, I derived quite a bit of pleasure out of racing him. “But with others coming on, I finally decided that I would probably have to place him in the Greyhound Adoption Program.
“Before a GAP assessment, though, I was talking to Saint Rock’s breeder Peter Byrne at his Koroit trial track. “He suggested fellow Koroit greyhound man Robbie Walsh might be interested in taking over his training for me.”
Walsh’s decision at the end of September to take over the training of Saint Rock has turned out to be mutually beneficial to both parties – the black dog successful at Warrnambool, Ballarat, The Meadows and now Mount Gambier.
For Walsh, the win, which came after a keen tussle with perennial 600 metres placegetter Close Your Eyes, was his first at Tara Raceway in almost 12 months after Belfast Dot had been successful.
And for Herry it was once again a case of purchasing a greyhound out of a ready to race sale where he pretty well knew what he was letting himself in for and where once again he has been able to have a bit of fun along the way.
Edna all smiles after first win Glencoe owner-trainer Edna Fennell was playing it pretty cool at last week’s Tara Raceway time-graded meeting after landing her first winner with King Smiley in the Williams Crane Hire Maiden Stake (400 metres).
In fact, so determined was she to avoid staring down the camera lens of track photographer Bron Nicholson that she handed the winner over to her husband Dean to lead back.
But, deep down Fennell would have been thrilled to bits with King Smiley – a giveaway following breaking-in – after he gave tearaway leader Lightning Jazz a fair start down the back before running out a half-length winner in a personal best 23.48 seconds. “I just hope he’s not a one-hit wonder,” she said later.
King Smiley and his litter brother King Happy, who is also trained by Fennell but yet to win, are by Spring Gun out of staying bitch Bekim Lucy’s who won 11 races including one over 731 metres at Angle Park.
Through her husband, Fennell has been involved with greyhounds since 1997, although her first crack at training did not come until 12 months ago with a dog called Walter who raced on only two occasions. Meanwhile, later in the day Cookie Deeds brought up his second win in close to 12 months when successful in the JB Irrigation Stake (512 m) for Portland owner-trainer Andy Graham.
A son of Fernando Bale and Mepunga Jayelle, the white and black dog chased Blue Bonnet until off the back where he took over the running and held off a fast-finishing Compton Pete to win by 11⁄2 lengths in 30.36 seconds.
And it’s taken Graham, who picked up Cookie Deeds for $2000 from Koroit owner-trainer Garry Anders in July last year, a while to win another race. “Why did I purchase Cookie Deeds? Well, I think it was mainly because when he won his maiden at Warrnambool in January last year he defeated one of my dogs in Bay Me,” Graham said.
“That sort of stuck in my mind a bit because she’s the best dog I currently have so I did a deal with Garry. “Now I’m a bit like Edna and hoping he’s not a one-hit wonder.”
