Caption: Townsville’s Greyhound of the Year winner Balts Agenda … in full flight. (Photo: Louise Partland)
MIKE HILL’s Queensland regional greyhound racing weekly wrap
EMOTIONS in rival kennels were poles apart on Tuesday night when outstanding sprinter Balts Agenda claimed the Townsville Greyhound of the Year title with a narrow, but courageous victory in the Best 8 Sprint over 380m.
In doing so, the Laurie Wode-trained speedster ended a valiant charge by Glen Olsen’s gritty chaser More Sensation, after that bitch suffered a cruel, late-season injury in her 79th start for 2022.
Balts Agenda had gone into the meeting just five points behind, but with More Sensation sidelined with a foot problem and seven points on offer for a win, the title was guaranteed with a victory.
Wode, who took over the Orson Allen-Real Obsession black bitch’s preparation from Paul Smith in March, said ‘we cheered our heads off’ after the black bitch’s narrow triumph.
Balts Agenda, a $2.25 favourite on the back of a wonderful winning streak, just pipped Arthur Gosper’s smart sprinter What A Bomber ($5.50) with the Brad Belford-trained Fancy Kelly ($19) a close third. The margins were a head and a head.
The two leaders had staged a battle royale for most of the trip with Balts Agenda (box 7) forced to do it tough on the outside of the talented Gosper chaser (box 3).
“It was a gutsy victory,” said Wode. “She sat outside the other dog and just kept fighting.
“She’s a brilliant little bitch. Of all her recent wins I think last night’s was the best. She showed courage and she’s as tough as old boots.
“She’s had to tough it out in recent runs and she deserves the title.”
The trainer said Balts Agenda was owned by southerner Bobby Connolly, who has quite a few dogs racing in Townsville.
“Bobby’s a loyal owner who continues to support our kennel with quality dogs,” he said.
“Without owners like him our kennel would not be as successful as it is.”
Balts Agenda, the in-form sprinter at Townsville since early September, has been racing in top grade and Best 8 class since April.
Her victory on Tuesday night was her eighth straight win; it was also the 11th from her past 14 outings, which include three thirds and her record for the year stands at 17-5-7 from 42 starts with a high 40 per cent winning strike rate and 69 per cent place rate.
“It’s been a mighty effort by the bitch,” said Wode, who took over the Paul Smith team earlier in the year. “Paul had her in excellent order when I inherited the team.
“I’m just the caretaker for 12 months and all the kudos should go to Paul’s fiancee Bobbie-Jean Chaffey and her son Jake for all their assistance.
“They’re the ones who deserve the pats on the back. It’s been a tough year.
“I hope to step away and go back to my small team of six to eight dogs in March. But we’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
Wode said he’d been reluctant to race Balts Agenda more than once a week.
“She’s at her best when she races weekly. That was our plan and it’s paid off.”
Meanwhile Olsen admitted he was devastated when More Sensation suffered her injury last week.
“She had gone through the year injury free, racing twice most weeks,” he said.
The trainer said his tough little sprinter had ‘pulled the nail completely out of the socket’ during her race last Friday.
“Blood was pouring out of the injury when I got to her in the catching pen after the race,” Olsen said.
“Despite the injury she still ran fourth, showing her courage and will to race.
“She’s a tough little bitch.”
More Sensation finished the season with 12 wins, 15 seconds and 10 thirds and despite the GOTY title slipping away, she should still finish 2022 as the ‘raciest’ greyhound in the nation.
She’s raced a total of 79 times, five more than nearest rival Victorian sprinter Lektra Sammy (74 starts).
The final points in the Townsville GOTY: Balts Agenda (Laurie Wode) 141, More Sensation (Glen Olsen) 139, Kiah Beach (Brad Belford) 114.
*****
“HE looked the winner a long way from home,” said Cj syndicate manager Jaycin Campbell.
The Sydney-based syndicate spokesman was commenting on San Marco’s impressive victory in the $4700 Christmas Cup (510m) at Rockhampton last night (Wednesday night).
The Ken Boody-trained sprinter, racing in near career best form, missed the start slightly from box six before working his way to the fence to trail leader Say Some Words (Darren Taylor) heading into the back straight.
San Marco, a $4 chance, pushed up between Say Some Words ($3) and $2.50 favourite Five Putt Cal to grab the lead near the corner before racing away for a commanding two-and-a-quarter lengths win.
Say Some Words held on for second with the Juanita Thompson-prepared Barooga Franky ($31) a fast-finishing third.
San Marco, a two-time Wentworth Park winner, arrived at Boody’s Dalma kennels, west of Rockhampton, in early August and has hit a purple patch of form in recent weeks.
The sprinter has won four of his past six starts and last night’s time of 29.96s was a PB for the trip.
Campbell said after watching last week’s ‘prelude’, in which the same dogs competed, and studying the box draw he went into the $3055-to-the-winner final ‘confident’.
“To be honest, I was expecting him to win,” he said. “And the way the race panned out he looked the winner a long way from home.
“He’s a bit tardy at the start but I think that helped him to get into a good position.
“The dog’s going good and that was the first time he’s broken 30s for the trip.”
PAWNOTE: San Marco was the subject of a pre-race vet check after appearing to show signs of limping after the preview. However, he was passed fit to race.
*****
CHRISTMAS came early for the powerful Team Boody at Rockhampton last night (Wednesday night).
Ken Boody increased his dominance in the club’s trainers premiership, leading in five winners, while Amber Boody added a sixth with $2.20 favourite Blue Jeans Talk taking out the last.
However, as well as San Marco’s Cup win, it was the victories of Ring Me and White Like Snow that stood out.
Ring Me ($5.50) bounced back from her only unplaced run in 20 outings with a brilliant display of speed to win the Dinky Di Web Design 1st/2nd Grade (407m) in a BON 23.42s.
The Keybow-Thrilla Stroke black bitch stormed to the front early, outsprinting her more fancied kennelmate Zip Stream, before beating the Dallas Beckett-prepared Bank Heist ($16) and Peta Boon’s Velocity Kayla ($2.90).
The victory took Ring Me’s record to 10 wins and nine placings from 20 starts with prizemoney just under $21,000.
Meanwhile, White Like Snow, a litter sister to Ring Me, was equally impressive winning the Christmas Gift (407m) by three lengths in a smart 23.51s.
The white chaser had too much early speed for Andrew Suli’s runner-up Danish Cake ($3.50), while the Clint Thompson-trained Rybolt ($8.50) finished third.
The victory took her tally to seven wins and two placings from 12 starts.
In a big night for the kennel, both Ring Me and White Like Snow are owned by Amber Boody, while the team’s other winners – Atomic Hope ($4.40) and Atomic Len – are litter mates (Fernando Bale-Cyndie’s Special ) owned by Cyndie Elson.
*****
TOWNSVILLE will stage a 12-race meeting tomorrow (Friday) – its last for 2022.
The Showgrounds complex is shutting down for its annual Christmas-New Year break.
Racing will resume on Tuesday, January 10, and trainers are advised that the North Queensland Country Cup series has been pushed back a week.
Heats will now be run on January 17 with the final a week later.
