Know Keeper was too good in Friday's Group 2 Nancy Cobain Distance Final. Photo supplied by Palmerston North Greyhound Racing Club.
Know Keeper was too good in Friday's Group 2 Nancy Cobain Distance Final. Photo supplied by Palmerston North Greyhound Racing Club.
Know Keeper continued to assert his authority on New Zealand's staying ranks on Friday night, when he took out the Group 2 Nancy Cobain Distance Final by six lengths.
On a wet day at Manawatu Raceway, the son of Know Class and Know Jinx jumped straight to the lead offBox 3, and from there, nothing was able to run him down. He clocked 41.21, with Claws In Leo hitting the line hard for second for Matt Roberts, ahead of Fine Intention for Gary and Sandra Fredrickson in third.
Rangiora trainer, Garry Cleeve, couldn't be happier with how his charge performed in Friday's $30,000 feature.
"He's very special," says Cleeve. "And every win is very special. Friday night was an emotional win. He keeps surprising us and he keeps on delivering.
"The $100,000 prizemoney barrier was pretty special to reach, and now, all of a sudden, he's starting to close in on $200,000 and there aren't many that get to that figure.
"Looking at what's coming up on the calendar, I think we'll head to the Auckland Cup next, and if we don't qualify for the final, there's a $15,000 distance feature on finals day. Races like the Teressa McDonald are also on the radar."
Cleeve hasn't ruled out an Australian stint yet, either.
"We'd really like to go over there with him, and I'd want to go for at least a few days to settle him. With the travel hassles, that's off the cards at the moment – but the Sandown Cup is still a wee way away, and so is The 715 (to be staged at The Gardens in June, worth $500,000 to the winner)."
While Know Keeper isn't generally given any extra special treatment around the kennels, Cleeve has a policy of rewarding all of his racing team following the races, regardless of where they finish.
"The dogs used to all get McDonalds, but we've got a Burger King which is a bit more accessible on the way home. We're at the stage now where they almost expect it and don't like getting out of the van at home until they have their burgers broken up in front of them.
"It's not good for my diet, because I'm usually a bit peckish by the end of a race meeting too!" he laughs.
Friday's victory brought up Know Keeper's 10th consecutive win, and he remains unbeaten over 600m and further.
Allan Davidson, Andrew Lacy, Dave Fahey, Robin Wales and Chrissy Bambry, with Opawa Superstar. Photo supplied by Palmerston North Greyhound Racing Club.
Formidable husband-wife training combination, Jean and Dave Fahey, also had a day to remember on Friday, winning five of the 12 races on the programme – an outstanding feat, given they only had seven greyhounds racing on the day.
Their day got off to a winning start, when Opawa Goat took out the opener in 25.89. More wins followed in quick succession, with Chatty Mavis (Race 3), Opawa Star (Race 5), Opawa Superstar (Race 7) and Nevada Phil (Race 9) adding to the tally.
While Box 4 wasn't ideal for Opawa Superstar in the $30,000 Manawatu Cup, he quickly overcame any potential issues by springing out of the boxes, and surging away to score by over six lengths, ahead of Freedom League. Federal Morgan is the current 457m track-record holder at Manawatu with 25.25, and considering the wet weather at Palmerston North on Friday, it was a remarkable effort for Opawa Superstar to clock 25.36 in winning.
Owned by Allan Davidson and Opawa Racing Limited, Opawa Superstar has now won 17 races from 23 starts – and he only turns two years old on Tuesday.
