Caption: The presentation arena after Monday’s Bundaberg Maiden 1000 Final (460m) won by Brian Terry’s Let’s Play Dice. (Photo: Uncle Rusty’s Photos)

By PAT McLEOD

Brian Terry’s work-in-progress, Let’s Play Dice, took a couple of vital steps forward despite a ‘messy win’ in the Bundaberg Maiden 1000 Final (460m) on Monday.

The former Brisbane-based chaser recorded her second win from two starts since her move north to Terry’s kennels, near Bundaberg.

However, the sensationally bred (Fernando Bale – Frieda Las Vegas) youngster confirmed Terry’s summation that ‘she still has a lot to learn’, in the tight win over Lucy Roche’s Galaxies.

“That certainly was not pretty,” Terry said of the race.

“I thought we were beaten and had actually run third.

“I started to walk away and just happened to look up at the semaphore board, saw that she had won and thought ‘Well, I don’t know how that happened’.”

Let’s Play Dice had her first six starts with the prestigious Tony Zammit kennels, south of Brisbane. She was then sent north to Terry, whose immediate plan was to continue her racing education.

He is excited by the prospects of the dog and those sentiments were enhanced by Monday’s win.

“She showed today that she still needs a fair bit of education in running,” he said.

“She doesn’t know what to do with other dogs that are going with her. She is used to chasing other dogs, not leading.

“But that is something that can be overcome with a little bit of work in the bull ring. It is just a case of getting her to chase on.

“I’m still very enthusiastic about what we can do with this dog. She could come out next week and win by 10 lengths.”

Terry was also buoyed by the dog’s tenacity during Monday’s outing,

“Today she also got a check in the back straight and got turned a bit sideways,” he said.

“She was entitled to not run on, but she recovered from that.

“So, despite it being messy there was still a lot to be happy about in that run.

“This was another confidence booster for the dog. She will do even better now.

“I will just put this down to one of those awkwardly run races and she got the luck of the win.

“From here, we will just go through the grades and then step her up to 500 metres.”

Caption: Ron Brook and Josie Hook after victory in Monday’s Bundaberg Christmas Cup Final (460m). (Photo: Uncle Rusty’s Photos)

In Monday’s other feature at Bundaberg, Ron Brook’s Josie Hook, pinged the start, then led all the way for a four-and-a-quarter-length win over Smart And Classy (David Plummer) in the Christmas Cup Final (460m), which was worth $5005 to the winner.

Third was another Plummer dog, Durham. The winning time was 26.19.

Josie Hook (Fernando Bale – Galester Hook) has not been unplaced in seven starts since coming into Brook’s kennel at the start of November.

Her litter sister, Heidi Hook, who is also trained by Brook, placed fourth in Monday’s Christmas Cup.

“Both dogs are very quick early,” Brook said.

“I was very happy with Josie’s run. They both have very good first sectionals. Josie showed that when she is on the bunny she is very hard to catch.”

Josie Hook now boasts a 33: 11-12-2 record for $31,485 in prizemoney.

Brook said although there was a question mark over Josie Hook’s ability over 500m he would most likely now aim her towards the Country Cup over Bundaberg’s 531m.

The high point of that series is the finale at Albion Park on February 1, when qualifiers from Bundaberg, Rockhampton and Townsville will vie for the $12,025 winner’s purse.