Caption: Ned Snow, right, and Oh Oh Range have been no strangers to the Albion Park podium. Here they are with Racing Queensland’s Dale Cartwright after winning last year’s Qgold Summer Chase (600m). (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
By Pat McLeod
Two exciting chasers with vastly different career scorecards, but hopefully similar future paths, will be tested over separate 600m journeys on Thursday night at Albion Park.
Veteran big race campaigner Oh Oh Range (Ned Snow) is on the comeback trail to possibly more 700m group glory, while Kenzie Baskin (Tyson Barton) continues her tentative young strides towards, perhaps, that same destination.
Oh Oh Range (56 starts for 14 wins, 17 placings) returned to racing last Saturday night at Ipswich after 100 days on the sideline with what humans would call a middle-ear infection.
“It’s a hereditary condition that causes swelling within the ears,” explains the Ipswich-based Snow.
“We had it syringed out a couple of times, but the condition kept coming back.
“It was really annoying for him and so we have given him the break so that he can get over it.
“I believe he can get back to where he was before.
“It will be a gradual return to the 700m.
“I am happy with the way he is going.”
Oh Oh Range will contest a five-dog 600m FFA on Thursday night (Race 2)
He is from the exceptional Out Of Range x Aussie Diamond litter, with four of the pups so far reaching six-figure prizemoney amounts – Shipwreck ($319,485), Oh Oh Range ($156,765), Pocket Money ($128,660) and Come On Aussie ($100,250).
Snow confirmed that Shipwreck would most likely be headed towards a stud career after injuring a front leg at Grafton on September 17.
“He is walking around now after keyhole surgery to insert plates,” he said.
“I doubt that he will race again, but I am keen to keep him as a stud dog.
“I have had quite a few people ask whether I was going to put him to stud.”
Casino, northern-NSW-based Tyson Barton will continue to guide his promising stayer Kenzie Baskin towards an eventual 700m start when she contests Race 8 at on Albion Park’s Thursday night program – a 5th Grade 600m final.
Barton isn’t expecting victory against a very smart field, but is hopeful this will be another key step to a distance career.
“I think she will definitely get the 700 metres, but she is still very young and so I will give her a few more 600 metre races,” he said.
“She is very clean-winded and pulls up very well after her races.
“The next morning after a race she is bouncing around. Even after the race she is bouncing around as if she hasn’t had a run.
“Her recovery is unbelievable.
“Of course, we won’t know until I try her over the 700 metres, but all the signs are there that she will run it eventually.
“Thursday night will be a hard race. I just want to see her get around cleanly.
“I’m not sure if she could win this because Icy Eyes (Selena Zammit) is very good and so is Jamie Hoskings’ Tap Out Mickey.
“I give her a good each-way chance. She just needs a bit of luck early.”
Barton said that after 14 starts, Kenzie Baskin (Hard Style Rico x Miss Khatanga) has proven that she is a fearless chaser, but slow out of the boxes.
“I am pretty happy with the dog so far,” he said.
“She is a very strong bitch, but unfortunately she is shocking out of the boxes. Just no box speed.
“When she hits the ground she takes off, but by then she is usually in traffic.
“So, she just needs that little bit of luck early.
“She doesn’t play up at all in the boxes. She is down there and ready to go. She just can’t ping the lids.
“One of her biggest assets, and a concern for me, is that she is a very fearless chaser. She will take a gap even if it isn’t there and she has the perfect temperament.
“You never hear her in the kennels and she travels beautifully.
“That is why I believe she is so strong because she doesn’t spend a penny off the track.
“She leaves it all for the track.”
