Caption: Trainers Jason Sharp, front left, and wife Jessica, second from right, and their ‘support team’ after Morton’s win in the $375,000 Group 1 Garrard’s Gold Bullion Final (520m) at Albion Park on Thursday night. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
By Pat McLeod
Two sizzling home stretch bursts by emerging superstars, Victorian sprinter Morton, and hometown distance hero Valpolicella, have delivered both Group 1 glory on an emotional climax to the Golden Greys Summer Carnival at Albion Park on Thursday night.
For Morton’s mentors, Jessica and Jason Sharp, their first Group 1 crown was a career dream come true.
“You dream to win a Group 1. You aspire to win a Group 1,” said Jason.
“And even with the family, you have to convince them that it isn’t a fairytale, that one day we will do it.
“And finally, we have.”
For veteran Queensland trainer, and national Hall-of-Famer, Tony Zammit, Valpolicella’s decisive victory wasn’t his first top tier title, but is now among his most memorable.
“For me this is special because I love training stayers and it has been exciting for me to not only train her, but to watch her run,” he said.
“With that performance tonight she is certainly up there with the best distance dog that I have trained, the great Trojan Tears.”
Both races were a fitting finale to an action-packed, two-months of carnival racing at ‘The Creek’.
Thursday night’s program also showcased the broader spectrum of greyhound racing with three under-card features – Sandra Hunt’s Time Goes Bye winning the TAB Queensland Short Course Final (331m), Dixie Gambles (Tom Tzouvelis) taking out the Newhaven Stud Farm Golden Oldies Final (520m) and tearful Townsville trainer Danny Preh farewelling his training association with Plum Tuckered after she won the TAB Country Cup Final (520m).
However, the night’s spotlight shone brightest on Morton with his heart-stopping surge to nail Selena Zammit’s All Natural by a half head in the $375,000 Group 1 Garrard’s Gold Bullion Final (520m).
That race was drama-filled even before the lids flew, with raging favourite, and track record holder, Jay Is Jay, scratched on race eve with a toe injury.
That brought recent Queensland Derby winner, Morton, and Jay Is Jay’s litter brother, All Natural, squarely into focus.
And that is how the race panned, with All Natural being able to cross noted boxer flyers Bear’s Bullet (Box 1) and Magistrate (Box 2).
The Zammits’ cruel luck in having Jay Is Jay scratched appeared about to be reversed until Morton grabbed the lead for the first time in his final stride.
Greg Stella’s ever-consistent performer, Magistrate, was two and a half lengths back in third. Winning time was 29.91.
“I can’t believe that he (Morton) has won that race,” Jason Sharp said after victory.
“It didn’t look good going through that first turn because he was back in the ruck and had to work through dogs.
“I thought the four (All Natural) had too much of a break on him.
“When they crossed the line I wasn’t sure who had won.
“We have been in about 10 Group 1 finals, but this is our first win.
“They are just so hard to win.
“This is unbelievable, life-changing.
“He is such a good dog and tries so hard.
“We are lucky to have him. He is the best and fastest dog we have had.”
Jason said a routine of flying in on race day and out the following morning on each of his trips north for this carnival had worked well.
“We took advice from (fellow Victorians) Robert and Jeff Britton.
“They said not to come the day before because the dog will try to acclimatise.
“It was better to fly in and fly out.”
Jason said he would probably be returning to Brisbane through the year for any age restricted races Morton qualified for and also for the Winter Carnival.
Caption: Trainer Tony Zammit, right, and owner Sandro Bechini with Valpolicella after victory in the $150,000 Group 1 Garrard’s Gold Cup Final (710m) at Albion Park on Thursday night. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
Meanwhile Tony Zammit indicated that Valpolicella was a strong chance of heading to Melbourne for the Group 1 Zoom Top at The Meadows on Saturday, February 10, after Thursday night’s compelling performance in the $150,000 Garrard’s Gold Cup Final (710m).
“I received a call from The Meadows inviting the dog into the Zoom Top,” he said after the Albion Park Group 1 win.
“I couldn’t commit. It depended on how she ran in the Gold Cup and how she pulled up.
“She has travelled a lot lately, but this is a nine-day turn-around.
“At this stage I am leaning towards contesting the race.”
After a disappointing second in her heat run, Valpolicella was back to her A Game on Thursday night.
As predicted by Zammit, Valpolicella appreciated the early speed, headed by Victorian Drill Sergeant (Shane Drummond), which strung the field out, allowing the gun Queenslander to slot mid-field on the fence.
From there she threaded her way through the field before blasting underneath Drill Sargeant mid-way down the home straight and jetted away to win by four and a quarter lengths, in 41.91.
Drill Sergeant was second and Tom Tzouvelis’s Scintillate claimed third.
“I didn’t have any real concerns during the race,” said Zammit.
“The only concern was whether she would gallop onto the back of another dog.
“I knew that with a clear run and with her acceleration she would be OK.
“She has never been a dog that has shown early pace, except when drawn inside.
“The great thing about Albion Park is that she knows the track so well and can negotiate her way between dogs.
“Tonight, her finish, that shows her biggest asset – how strongly she finishes.”
Caption: “I got behind the boxes and said to her, ‘Wendy girl, this is our last dance, ping out!’ – Part of trainer Danny Preh’s emotional summation of Thursday night’s TAB Country Cup Final (520m) at Albion Park. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
Adding raw emotion to Thursday night’s highlights reel was Danny Preh and Plum Tuckered.
The Fernando Bale – Crazy Bonnie chaser began her career in south-east Queensland, but after 23 starts across Albion Park and Ipswich was sent north to Preh’s kennels in late July last year.
The diet of north Queensland heat and Preh’s one-on-one attention obviously agreed with ‘Wendy’ and she blossomed.
During her NQ stint she broke the Townsville 380m and 498m track records amongst her 14 wins there.
Her final northern win qualified her for Thursday night’s Country Cup Final (520m).
Which allowed the dog’s owners the perfect opportunity to transition ‘Wendy’ to another stint at metropolitan racing, with top trainer Tony Apap.
In a bitter-sweet moment, Preh boxed a dog for the first time at Albion Park, but boxed Plum Tuckered for the final time.
Preh later talked through that moment: “I got behind the boxes and said to her, ‘Wendy girl, this is our last dance, ping out!’
“And she did.”
In fact, Plum Tuckered had the race won moments after the lids rose.
She scooted to a commanding lead early before winning in 30.06sec by nine and a half lengths.
Second was Hidden Fury (Mick Campbell) and third was Jay Schafer’s Balts Orson.
“I am so stoked with her. She has been a fantastic dog for us,” a tearful Preh said.
“I fly back to Townsville tomorrow (Friday) and Wendy will head back to Tony’s place tonight. It will be hard to say goodbye.
“I have this bond with all my dogs. No matter how good they are. It is always hard to say goodbye.
“Tonight is the highlight of my career. First city class race that I’ve been in. Never raced in Brisbane before tonight.
“It has been brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
“Wendy has got talent and I think with Tony he will get the best of her down here.
“As long as she is in that mood, she will produce good wins for him.
“We try our best to show all our dogs a lot of love.
“She is the best dog that I have trained and hopefully not the last at this level.”
