Two kennels absolutely dominated last Thursday’s Waikato GRC hosted premier meeting between them when mentoring the major race winners, plus a number of the high-stakes support races.
The nation’s leading conditioner Lisa Cole plucked in a tick under $50,000 in stakes, while Craig Roberts picked up a shade under $25,000.
The Cole team was on fire, as seen by the kennel applying the finishing touches to seven race winners, including the $20,000 Waikato Classic and the $10,000 Waikato Cup.
Carey Street has always displayed exceptional potential during her short 15-race career. On Thursday, she effectively used her trap-one draw and in doing so, the exciting youngster cemented victory in the Group 2 event.
The daughter of SH Avatar and All About Space belied her lack of racing experience in the manner she went about her work, railing underneath the lid-pinging Thrilling Hallie to take control of the 457m event when racing into the big, sweeping turn.
She was off and gone from that point, leaving the previous week’s pair of heat winners to scrap over the minor stakes. Carey Street proved too strong during the run home, as seen by her 3.75-length winning margin, completing her 457m task in 25.43.
The Craig Roberts-prepared race favourite Cawbourne Carty dwelt slightly when the traps lifted. He improved quickly, joining Thrilling Hallie where they briefly jostled on the turn. Cawbourne Carty extended during the run home to claim second by three-quarters of a length over a gallant Thrilling Hallie for Jamie Pruden and Sophie Whittaker.
“Carey Street is a very, very strong dog – she has massive strength, so when she jumped, I was confident she would be too strong for the others. To do what she is doing at this early stage of her career is amazing,” stated Brendon Cole about the Conspiracy Theory Syndicate-owned youngster, who has now won them $29,932, the result of seven wins and five minors from her 15 career races.
“Carty didn’t jump as well as he has been, then he had a tussle with Thrilling Hallie. I was happy with his effort,” advised Roberts, who added he will now sit down and work out a racing plan for him.
$15,000 Thrilling Brat Distance
Rohan Bale was heavily backed and delivered in the Thrilling Brat Distance. Photo / Yvette Bodiam
Rohan Bale stylishly confirmed his status as a high-class stayer in the strong manner that he prevailed in the Thrilling Brat Distance over the 747m journey.
The Craig Roberts-mentored stayer stalked the freewheeling Know Keeper into the home straight, from where he railed underneath the current NZ Greyhound of the Year, extending smartly to secure his 42.70 victory by a handy two-length margin.
Know Keeper kept up his gallop to claim second for Garry Cleeve, while a further 2.75 lengths behind was Black Tea who caught the eye with the tidy way she completed her task when finishing third for her conditioner Emma Potts.
“I admit, I am surprised with Rohan’s win as I thought we were looking at second when Know Keeper was in front. I got excited going around the home turn, thinking this is going to be interesting.
“He loves the rail, which he showed in the strong way he brought it home. Rohan Bale has the speed and stamina that places him within the top echelon of stayers. Obviously, the Silver Collar is the long-term plan and I’ll keep him ticking over back at home,” explained Roberts.
It was the 12th career win for the Brendan Wheeler-owned former Victorian stayer, with it being the fourth under the care of Roberts.
$15,000 Denis Cole Memorial Sprint
Levi Bale was victorious in the Denis Cole Memorial Sprint. Photo / Yvette Bodiam
Sharp sprinter Levi Bale maintained his current streak of rich form by adding the Denis Cole Memorial Sprint to his list of current victories.
The Craig Roberts short-course specialist won the 375m dash from trap-rise, when his white racing vest was the first sighted. He appeared set to deliver an easy win; however, the Gary and Sandra Fredrickson-trained Kaw Liga had other ideas, charging at the pace-setter late, coming up just a half-length margin short.
Leading the chasing pack home a further three lengths behind was the ultra-consistent Cambridge chaser Pedro Lee, for his local trainer Peter Ferguson.
It was another smart 375m time, with Levi Bale stopping the clock in 20.91.
“He’s going bloody good. When he jumped and got away from the others, I knew he would be okay, as he’s running time all the time, although the second dog came hard at him late.
“His next big target will be the Railway Sprint (heats February 19). I’ll probably take him up there for a trial and race others at the Auckland February (16) Thursday meeting,” advised Roberts, who also produced Harpoon Bale to stylishly win the $7100 Mayhounds Greyhound Rehoming Group Stakes C2 457m event in 25.85.
The son of Zambora Brockie and Kenju Bale has now raced on 41 occasions, winning 19 of them and has placed in 12 other sprints, accumulating $55,518 in stake earnings for his owner Jan Wheeler.
$10,000 Waikato Cup
Hometown Hero provided Lisa Cole with another feature race win on the day. Photo / Yvette Bodiam
Taking Hometown Hero up to Cambridge to trial the previous week paid off in spades for the Lisa Cole training team, as Hometown Hero put his rivals to the sword when he swiftly exited from the 457m three-trap.
From that early point, it was only a case of what margin that the Australian-bred son of Aston Dee Bee and Nicki Fields was going to win by. At the judge, he had built a clear-cut 3.75 length margin over a gallant Peter Ferguson-trained Majestic Legend. He stopped the clock in 25.39.
Money Trail cleared early midfield traffic to finish stoutly for third for his conditioner AJ Christiansen, another 2.75 lengths astern.
“Hometown Hero trialled up there the prior week and he came out to improve on that in the Waikato Cup. He went terrific,” stated Brendon Cole about the D & M Puleio-owned greyhound.
The last race Waikato Cup win cemented a fantastic day for the Coles, with other highlights coming with the kennel providing the quinella in the 457m $7000 Mighty Waikato Maiden Series Final with Big Time Blazer winning in 25.73 over kennelmate Inner Space.
The C3 $7,500 457m Clubhouse Cambridge Stakes saw Big Time Raider prevailing in 25.78 over his kennelmates Big Time Noise and Space Tron to form the race trifecta.
The super consistent sprinter Big Time Prada hopped in from off the reserves bench to strongly run down kennelmate, the Australian-bred and owned NZ debutante Rapido Scud, returning 21.23 for her 33rd career win in the C5 $7100 Garrards Horse & Hounds 375m Sprint.
The promising Eytukan made it seven wins from just 11 races, when he easily prevailed in the Vetora Cambridge Sprint Series Final taking out the C3 $5900 375m dash in 21.28. The Cole kennel added the C5 457m $9000 Mike Stent Decorators Ltd Stakes to their collection with the strong chaser Mustang Charlie prevailing in 25.67.
“It was a great day for the kennel. I guess you can call the results a 101 lesson on greyhound training – putting in the long hard yards pays off. The work put in by the team at the Big Time kennels is amazing and what happened on Thursday is a result of their dedication,” added Cole.
Just two other trainers tasted success during the premier meeting, with the visiting conditioners Gary and Sandra Fredrickson taking out the first event, the C4 375m $6,200 Follow Waikato Greyhounds On Facebook Sprint with Highview Toby in 21.48.
The high-rolling Jamie Pruden and Sophie Whittaker training partnership produced yet another winner to maintain their exceptional UDR 0.7906 strike-rate, with the talented Thrilling Ralph leading home a hot C1 457m field in the Affordable Pet Services Stakes in 25.82.
