Caption: Master trainer Tony Zammit and his wife Maree with new Ipswich 732m track record holder Valpolicella after the stayer’s stunning win in last week’s $11,600 Beat Breast Cancer Cup. Also pictured are Lupe Paea (left), representing the Breast Cancer Foundation, and Jodie  Pagan (right) representing QGRC. Photo: Just Greyhound Photos.

Weekly wrap of racing at Ipswich with MIKE HILL

NED Snow has ‘no worries’ about Vienna On Call stepping up in distance at Ipswich on Saturday night.

The fawn chaser, named during the week as joint winner of Ipswich’s Greyhound of the Month for September, will jump from box four in the $7000 Dover & Sons 5th Grade (630m).

Racing in a rich vein of form, Vienna On Call is chasing her fourth victory on the trot after completing a hat-trick of wins over the 520m trip at Ipswich earlier this month.

“She’ll run it,” said a confident Snow, who’s having his own fabulous season with the collar and lead.

He heads the Ipswich trainer’s premiership with a total of 86 wins for the year, while Pauline Byers tops the females with 52 wins.

Snow said it was getting hard to place Vienna On Call over the 520m on a Saturday night.

The fawn daughter of Aston Dee Bee and Abby Normal hasn’t raced over 630m since July last year when she finished third in 38.42s.

But that’s not a concern for the Purga-based trainer.

“She’s fully fit at the moment,” said Snow.

“She’s strong, she’s very honest and she’ll run the distance.

“She should lead and they will have to catch her.

“I think she’ll be hard to beat, but it will depend on the state of the track.

“They turned the track on Monday and we’ve had a lot of rain over the past two days and they are forecasting more rain for Friday and Saturday.”

Vienna On Call has had three runs over the 630m trip – all in June and July last year – with a 38.33s her best but her recent form over the shorter courses has been outstanding.

She’s only missed the money once in her past 10 starts.

In what looks an even field, three runners – Garrison (Chris Brydon, box 6), Regards To Tony (Chloe Muller, box 1) and Sirius Zoe (Darren Johnstone, box 7) – have won over the distance, another three have been placed while the Michael Geraghty-trained Big And Cheesy (box 2) is tackling the journey for the first time.

Meanwhile, Snow has a strong team stepping out on Saturday night, including several  youngsters preparing for the $45,000 Ipswich Derby and Futurity series (heats October  19, final October 26).

The trainer said he had a couple that should go well.

He said Glastonbury Man and Extreme Tension were both having their final hit-out before the Derby.

“Both are going well at the moment and both can run time,” said Snow.

He also has Mischievous Lou heading towards the Futurity.

The fawn Out Of Range-Go Lou Go sprinter, drawn in box one in a 4th/5th Grade (520m) at the weekend, has a smart 30.38s to her credit.

The trainer said he was happy with the way his year was going.

EYES will be on Wentworth Park on Saturday night as Ipswich’s latest track record breaker Valpolicella attempts to qualify for her second successive Sydney Cup Final (720m).

The Sandro Bechini-owned, Tony Zammit-trained wonder stayer last week sliced 0.13s (almost two lengths) off Wag Tails’ Ipswich 732m record (43.56s), recorded in June 2014.

Valpolicella (box five) jumped smartly and set the pace, ever increasing the margin to finally cross the line in a super 43.43s – 12-and-a-quarter lengths ahead of the rest.

Zammit said he sensed something special coming from his million-dollar winner when he arrived at the track last week.

“She was pumped up ready to race,” he said.

“And I’m hoping she can pump herself up again this week.”

Zammit said he hadn’t been happy with Valpolicella’s two previous runs at Albion Park and when he saw the race at Ipswich he decided to nominate.

“She hadn’t raced there for some time,” the trainer said.

“I thought a change of scenery would be good for her.”

And it was.

Zammit is hoping the victory will give Valpolicella a boost in confidence heading into this weekend’s Sydney Cup heats after she finished third in last year’s final.

Her Ipswich track record was the second for the outstanding stayer after her thumping victory in the $500,000-to-ther-winner The 715 at The Gardens (Newcastle) earlier in the year.

Like last weekend, Valpolicella had led throughout to win The 715 in 41.23, shaving 0.11s off the track record which had only been set by Zipping Neutron in the previous race.

“Her fast start and her strength at the end helped her to break the Ipswich record,” said Zammit.

“She was very strong in the last few hundred metres.

“Like Ipswich, Valpolicella hasn’t been to Wenty for a while. I just hope she’s pumped up when she arrives there this week.

*****

IT has been a big few days for Churchable-based trainers Casey Dargusch and Mal Cuneo.

Dargusch had a weekend to remember, rugging up a winning double at Ipswich on Friday with Blue Augie (maiden) and Whiskey Sipper (novice), landing the $11,600 Col Harris Gold Sovereign Final (630m) with promising chaser Power Of Whiskey at Ipswich on Saturday night and then scoring the $11,600 Bob Vernon Maiden Memorial Final  (366m) at Capalaba on Sunday with impressive youngster Hook Me.

Hook Me (Hooked On Scotch-Javens) clocked a smart 19.71s in the $7540-to-the-winner final at just his second run after winning first-up (19.80s) on the Capalaba grass a week earlier.

A happy Dargusch said: “It was a great weekend.”

Cuneo was the standout trainer at Ipswich on Thursday when he led in a winning treble with Bankrupt Betty (maiden), Bungle Bungle (maiden) and Timmy Turbo (5th Grade Final) – all over the short 288m distance.

DAYTONA Girl (Craig Cassidy) and Vienna On Call (Ned Snow), have shared the Ipswich Greyhound of the Month award for September with 16 points each.

Daytona Girl amassed her points from three wins and a third, while Vienna On Call picked up two wins and two runner-up placings.

They join previous winners Bundy Prize (January), Be Desired (February), Kia Kaha (March), Spring Travis (April), Tarawi Lee (May), Infra Terra (June)  joint victors Too Hot and Federal Remark (July) and Tub Star (August).