Caption: Trainer Jamie Hosking and connections of Jen’s Joy after her victory in a heat of the $45,000 Group 3 Rising Stars (520m) at Albion Park on Thursday night. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
Pat McLeod wraps up Thursday night greyhound racing at Albion Park
Jamie Hosking’s ‘comeback queen’, Jen’s Joy, continues to emerge as a genuine summer carnival threat, powering through to next Thursday night’s final of the $45,000 Group 3 Rising Stars (520m) at Albion Park.
Despite a less than perfect start to her heat at ‘The Creek’ on Thursday night, the Aussie Infrared – Eight Green Cans chaser stormed home to relegate Tom Tzouvelis’s pair, Pursuer (second) and Scarlatti (third).
Jen’s Joy, who has made a sensational comeback after breaking a hock at her fourth start in April this year, showed that her third in the Group 1 Ipswich Gold Cup last week was far from inflated form.
However, she will face a talented field in the $30,000 to-the-winner Rising Stars final.
Leading that challenge is slick Sydney youngster Overflow Beau (Craig Chappelow), who collected his seventh win in 12 starts in 30.15, which equalled Jen’s Joy’s time.
Brent Kline’s experienced, and successful, Carton Of Bear, continued his ultra-consistent form, remaining tough to win his heat and Renald Attard’s Mrs Musgrave caused a minor upset by claiming the fourth heat win.
Hosking said he was a bit worried for Jen’s Joy’s hopes when she was slow out of the boxes.
“I did not like my chances down the back because there were some pretty good dogs in that race,” he said.
“But she got through.
“Definitely there is room for confidence going into the final because she has shown that she can match it with some pretty good dogs over the past few weeks.
“As long as she can come out of the boxes a bit better, she should go alright.
“Everything else she ticks, it is just the start I would like to see improve.”
Caption: Overflow Beau (Craig Chappelow) takes out the first heat of the Rising Stars (520m) at Albion Park on Thursday night. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
Sydney’s Craig Chappelow said while he rates Overflow Beau, Thursday night’s win through to the final was a bonus.
“He is a very smart dog and has always shown a lot of ability,” he said.
“That is why we have tried to take him to some of these age races.
“This race was a bit of a lead up to the (Qld) Derby (final Albion Park January 4).
“The fact that he has made it through to this final is a bonus.
“He had a little bit of a setback after his last race in Sydney, an injury to a back leg.
“So, he was a little bit underdone to be honest. He will improve with a look at the track.”
Caption: Brent Kline helped celebrate his wife Michelle’s 40th birthday on Thursday night when his kennel star Carton Of Bear won a heat of the Rising Stars at Albion Park. Joining the festivities were their children, Isla, 8, and Chase, 6. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
Brent Kline said there was plenty to like about Carton Of Bear’s gritty heat win in 30.30 over Darren Russell’s Pringle Tiger and Tom Tzouvelis’s Tagovailoa.
“The positive thing about that win was the way he went about it,” said Kline.
“He did not have the race his way, but the way that he fought on until the end is what we want to see him do.
“I was very happy with that run.
“It takes a pretty talented dog to get across and win from there (Box 7).
“So, we will take that one for sure.
“I am not too worried about the time because I know he can go quicker.”
Caption: Trainer Renald Attard has a high opinion of Mrs. Musgrave, who won her heat of the Rising Stars at Albion Park on Thursday night. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
Experienced south-east Queensland trainer Renald Attard wasn’t surprised with Mrs. Musgrave’s heat win.
“She is a pretty smart bitch,” he said.
“She is quick and has broken 30 here at Albion.
“That was her 11th start and she now has five wins and two placings. She is mad for the fence, but hasn’t drawn the red yet.
“I have a very high opinion of her.
“She didn’t start well tonight, which has been a problem for her.
“So hopefully she can get an inside draw and a better start in the final.
“She is very strong, so if she is near them she is a real chance.”
The first two placed dogs from each of the four heats will go through to the final and there were some interesting second placings.
After showing plenty of potential in his first 13 starts, all up the Capalaba straight, Douglas Gladman’s Hudson Bay looked impressive in his second to Mrs. Musgrave.
The Bernardo – Ally Oop Keats youngster came across well from Box 8, took the lead early in the back straight and just faded late.
Also through is strong 600m dog Bogie Hurricane (Ryan Ayre).
The Keybow – Bogie Lilly chaser trekked through the field from last before a lightning last 50 metres took him to just a length behind the victorious Overflow Beau.
Caption: Tim Britton’s Cash It In (6) just loses out to Blue Hornet in a 600m FFA at Albion Park on Thursday night. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
The powerhouse Britton camp’s fulltime foray into Queensland racing had a disjointed start to premier Thursday night racing at Albion Park.
The kennel, headed by the next generation Tim Britton, and based at Churchable started taking in dogs just last week.
Their Thursday night program started with a second place to Cash It In behind star local Blue Hornet (Ray Burman), in Race 3, a FFA 600m event.
They had three starters – Dirt Farmer, Fast Milkman and Ryebuck Tears – in Race 4, a FFA 710m race. However, that was halted mid-race and abandoned to ensure the safety of an injured runner.
Britton said he and partner, and fellow trainer, Martina Kirillidis, were ‘really enjoying’ the change.
“We have 16 dogs here at the moment and they have settled in really well,” he said.
“The aim initially is just to take it slowly.
“The dogs that are going around at the moment are older dogs, Free For All dogs. They aren’t what they were a year ago, but I still very competitive.
“Then we have got a lot of young pups that we just have to work out.
“We want to race multiple times a week across all grades, all distances.”
Britton said that hopefully some talent would emerge from the kennel for the upcoming rich Brisbane summer carnival. However he said having the Queensland satellite kennel in operation meant an easier short stay for any of their big-name, Victorian-based dogs.
“So, depending on what is on offer we can bring dogs up when we want to,” he said.
“The decision to come up here all happened pretty quickly.
“I really like it up here and would like to stay as long as possible.
“With the new track opening up, I haven’t got any plans of leaving.”
Caption: Mary Burman and Blue Hornet after victory at Albion Park on Thursday night. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
The talented and versatile Blue Hornet continues to give owner/trainers Ray and Mary Burman plenty to think about ahead of the summer carnival.
The Sennachie – Champagne Sally multi-distance star came late to run down Tim Britton’s Cash It In in a 600m Free For All at Albion Park on Thursday night.
“I was very happy with that run,” Ray Burman said after the win.
“But I have given no thought to what our carnival plans are with the dog.
“He continues to give us plenty of options.”
Blue Hornet is rare talent – 23 wins and 19 placings from 60 starts and $217,195 in prizemoney.
He has performed with distinction across all distances and holds the current 520m record at Ipswich.
Blue Hornet’s one feature win was in the QGOLD Emerging stayers in December last year.
Caption: Pretty Cindy, for top Townsville trainer Brad Belford, finds the line strongly at Albion Park on Thursday night. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
Leviathan Townsville trainer Brad Belford shared a little of his mentoring magic ‘in town’ when his talented Pretty Cindy won Race 10, a 5th Grade over 520m.
Earlier in the week (Monday) the My Redeemer – Miss Energiser chaser had achieved the same result at track and distance.
On the way south, Belford had dropped in to the Rockhampton meeting on November 1, picking up some pretty decent petrol money, taking out the Central Queensland Futurity Final, also with Pretty Cindy.
