Caption: Ron Brook with Easy Eddie and catcher Des Shaxson

 By MIKE HILL

TOP trainer Ron Brook last month landed his first feature success at Bundaberg since down-scaling his operation.

Brook, a multiple trainer\’s premiership winner, rugged up $13 chance Easy Eddie for an impressive victory in the $5250 Bundaberg  Young Guns (460m).

The dark brindle son of SH Avatar and Rocket Banquet was one of the last to leave the boxes but quickly rounded the field to trail early leader Billy\’s Memory down the back straight.

Easy Eddie took control approaching the home turn and held off the fast-finishing Scott McGuiness-trained Martino Beach ($5.50) to win by a length with the winner\’s littermate Little Ripper ($5.50), prepared by David Plummer,  another one-and-a-quarter lengths back third.

\”It was a nice win,\” said Brook.

\”But I was surprised when he took the long way around the field.

\”After missing the start, I thought he would cross to the rails.

\”I was fairly confident he\’d get the leader but I wasn\’t sure if he could outstay his brother (Little Ripper).

\”He\’s a very consistent sprinter.\”

Formerly operating a breeding-rearing-racing establishment at Gin Gin, Brook is now hoping to develop a boutique kennel in the Hervey Bay region.

After leaving his Gin Gin property, Brook went on a search for new kennels.

Plummer and his wife Nancy offered him a new base at Takura.

\”They have two homes on their property and I\’m renting one with its own kennel complex,\” Brook said.

\”I needed a change of scenery.

\”I have six dogs in work – a couple of racers and several pups from my old breed.

\”I\’m doing the best I can with what I\’ve got.\”

Brook only took over Easy Eddie\’s preparation from Plummer in early October.

\”He\’s a bit of a noisy dog and David wanted him away from the others,\” he said.

It\’s been a team effort from Plummer and Brook, who have been instrumental in the success of the SH Avatar litter bred by Toowoomba\’s Cyril Anderson.

In fact, three members of the litter contested the Young Guns final with the Plummer-trained $2.30 favourite Fogelberg an unlucky fourth after copping severe interference on the first corner.

\”I whelped the litter when I was living at Gin Gin and had just started to break them in before David took over,\” Brook said.

\”He\’s done a fantastic job with the trio.\”

The three have a combined record of 31 wins and more than $55,000 in prizemoney – Easy Eddie (28: 7-6-2), Fogelberg (36: 16-6-5) and Little Ripper (28: 8-6-7).