Caption: Trainer Christine Pollard and husband David with talented sprinter Edgewood, one of three siblings in Wednesday night’s $15,400 QGOLD Open Sprint Final (407m) at Rockhampton. (Photo: Caught In The Act Photography CQ)
By MIKE HILL
WIN or lose, Christine Pollard is thrilled to be rugging up three runners in Wednesday night’s $15,400 QGOLD Open Sprint Final (407m) at Rockhampton.
And they’re not just any trio of sprinters.
They are three members of Pollard’s outstanding Fernando Bale-Bossy Miss Bella litter.
“It’s most likely this is the first time I’ve had three runners in a final; I know it’s definitely the first time I’ve ever had three brothers,” she said.
Based at Emerald, 270kms west of Rockhampton, Pollard has qualified Blue Ocean View (box 3), Edgewood (box 5) and Educator (box 7) for the $10,010-to-the-winner final.
The trio, in sparkling form from day one, have so far won 10 races each – averaging a 54 per cent winning strike rate.
But despite her strong representation, the trainer knows victory won’t be easy.
Pollard faces a powerful Boody foursome onslaught.
Leading Central Queensland trainer Ken Boody has qualified two runners – Showtime Pompom (box 1) and Who’s Billy (box 6) – his dad Steve has Yuri Magic in box four and Uncle Mick will rug up the early favourite Sergeant Green (box 2).
“I’m going into the final with not a lot of confidence,” Pollard said.
“My boys are not well drawn, particularly Edgewood and Educator.
“Edgewood likes to go out at the start and Educator goes in.
“If they both jump well they could cause themselves some trouble.”
And of Blue Ocean View, the trainer said the dog was a very good railer but had a tendency to miss the start.
Pollard said Edgewood (20: 10-3-3), the early star of the litter with six wins from his first eight starts, had lost some of his first-sectional brilliance after injuring his offside shoulder in a Brisbane trial prior to the Country Cup at Albion Park in early February.
“He stumbled on the matting in front of the boxes,” the trainer said.
The blue sprinter was forced to miss the big final after an impressive victory in the Rocky regional qualifier.
“His form has slipped since then,” Pollard said.
“He’s lost a bit of his early speed … he’s three-to-four lengths off his previous first splits.
“I also think he’s lost a bit of confidence.
“He needs a break and I’ll give him a let-up after this series.”
Pollard said the Mick Boody-trained Sergeant Green looked the one to beat.
The white and brindle sprinter (Whiskey Riot-Butterfly Is She) was an impressive all-the-way heat winner in a BON 23.37s from the rails box last week.
It was also a PB for the chaser and Pollard said a repeat performance would be hard to match.
The other heat was won by the Steve Boody-trained Yuri Magic (23.56s), scoring first-up after injury forced him to be sidelined for six weeks.
The ‘odd-one out’ in the final is the Juanita Thompson-trained, Warren Nicholls-owned Was A Genius, exiting box eight.
Meanwhile, victory for Pollard would cap off a fabulous eight months of racing for her Fernando Bale litter.
Since hitting the track back in September, the 10 siblings – nine are already winners – have collectively amassed 48 wins, 24 seconds and 22 thirds – all at Rockhampton – with earnings just under $130,000.
Pollard is hoping Bossy Miss Bella’s second litter by Fernando Bale’s brilliant son Tommy Shelby can match the quality of the first.
A smaller litter – just two dogs and a bitch – they turned six months old at the weekend.
“They’re being rear in Brisbane and they look beautiful,” she said.
“The bitch, particularly, looks great and reports indicate she’s bossing her brothers about.”
