Caption: Experienced South-East Queensland trainer Greg Stella with Black Comanche, after his win in the TAB Qld Emerging Origin Stars Final at Albion Park (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
By PAT McLEOD
Respected South-East Queensland trainer Greg Stella has a reality check for trainers bringing some of the nation’s most promising youngsters to Albion Park for Thursday night’s $37,500 Group 3 Rising Stars (520m).
As Stella points out, sometimes there is a painful gap between promise and performance.
He only needs to filter through the four Rising Star heats, which have attracted young chasers oozing potential brilliance – from throughout Queensland and deep into New South Wales.
Race six (Heat 2), out of the eight box, Black Comanche … trainer – Gregory Stella.
“Before he raced he was trialling brilliantly. The times he was running were unbelievable,” Stella reflects on Black Comanche.
“But he has not got a great racing pattern. He loses ground going through the first corner. You cannot give that ground away to top class dogs. After his first 10 starts the pattern had formed.
“That is his racing style and that will not change. It is what it is.
“If you watch his running at the first corner, as the others rail, he stays out wide, he loses two or three lengths covering extra ground through the bend. He has always done that.
“That probably will prevent him from winning a decent race, but in saying that he is still competitive and box draws play a big part. He is a nice dog to race.
“Some people say it must be frustrating, but I have had dogs for a long time … it is what it is. He always tries and that is all he can do.”
The philosophical Stella was therefore buoyed with the box draw, the pink box, for Black Comanche.
The Zambora Brockie-Tahlia’s Way youngster, who is coming off a 520m win on Saturday night at Ipswich, is one of many genuine chances in a star-packed, four-heat appetiser to the October 27 final.
Stella says the current wave of young dogs coming through in Queensland was impressive and indication of just how strong the code was across all grades and distances.
“There are plenty of nice dogs on the way through and probably a touch better than other years,” he said. “But just to win a race at Albion Park on a Thursday night is as tough as it ever has been.
“Increased prizemoney is a major reason. You often hear people saying they would like to get a Thursday night winner because they certainly do not give them away.”
Despite not quite living up to early expectations Black Comanche is by no means a disappointment with a 14-7-4 record from 30 starts and just a tick under $60,000 in prizemoney so far.
His wide draw (8) on Thursday night is a major plus. So far the black chaser is unbeaten from the three widest boxes. However, the danger looms on the inside with the exciting Hara’s Pandora perfectly positioned in the one.
“They are exciting heats and you should get an outstanding final from these fields,” said Stella of the Rising Stars. “We are parked out in the pink box, which is good because that’s what suits him (Black Comanche). He needs a bit of room to move and lacks a bit of box pace. We are hoping to qualify and we think we are a chance of qualifying.
“The bar rises in this race as far as the opposition goes especially the dog in the red box (Hara’s Pandora). She has been in great form and comes off a 29.63 last week.”
Tarquin Neal’s bitch is on an amazing run – five wins across Albion Park and Ipswich. But through all heats there are headlines to be written.
The highly regarded Tony Zammit De Ferran will be tested in the opening heat (Race 5) by Hara’s Pandora’s litter sister Hara’s Skye and Ken Boody’s Dixie Gambles, who has made the trek down from Rockhampton.
Travelling even further will be stellar Sydney-based kennel, John and Minnie Finn, with the sizzling fast duo of Zipping Orlando (Heat 3) and Zipping Lyris (Heat 4).
Tony Apap’s Ipswich Derby winner Fearghal Monelli is a Heat 3 threat along with John Dart’s Boys Light up, while Adulate has plenty of fans in Heat 4.
The top-class action on Thursday night will not be confined to the Rising Stars heats.
Warren Nicholls’ Days of Thunder will be looking to turn the tables on Sunburst (Jedda Cutlack) in the Race Two Free For All over 710m.
A race later Cutlack has thrilling young staying prospect Scintillate in a 5th grade 600m. The Konomi-Sherbini bitch stepped up to 630m at Ipswich three starts ago and has since been unbeaten at that track and distance.
One of those runs, 36.87secs, is the second-fastest recorded at Ipswich over the 630m.
