Caption: Darren Russell, right, and Shane Topping after Swift Beach’s win in the Golden Chase Sprint Final (431m) at Ipswich last weekend. (Photo: Just Greyhound Photos)
Pat McLeod’s weekly wrap of news from the Ipswich track
Gold Coast hinterland trainer Darren Russell was certainly rapt with Swift Beach’s win in last weekend’s Golden Chase Sprint Final (431m), but he is even more excited with what lies ahead.
Swift Beach showed great tenacity to storm back, after being headed early by Jack’s Rocket (Syd Swain), and take out the annual event by 1.25lengths in 24.93.
Jack’s Rocket was second with Affluent (John McCarthy) third.
“Yes, I was very happy with that run,” enthused Russell, who also had litter sister Savanna Beach (8th) in the $14,000-to-the-winner final.
“I was still pretty confident at the 600m boxes when Jack’s Rocket crossed my dog.
“I was only a length and a half behind and I believed that I could run home three or four lengths quicker than that dog.”
And that is exactly how the race panned out.
What is making Russell even more excited is the next stage of the Ipswich Golden Chase – the 520m series.
Both the 431m and 520m races are part of the historic Ipswich Auction Series races, which date back to 1989.
Runners must have been through the Ipswich puppy auction to the eligible.
The 520m race has always held more prestige, and prizemoney. This year’s 520m series will be held across March 15 (heats), March 22 (semis) and March 29 (Final).
This year’s final is worth $40,000 to the winner.
Russell has won both races before and believes he is again in the frame for 520m success with his two ‘Beaches’.
“These dogs, Swift Beach and Savanna Beach, are a great little combination,” he said.
“In fact right now their records are almost identical (both 19 starts for nine wins).
“It was great to get both dogs through to the (431m) final and for Swift Beach to win, but I believe both of my dogs are better suited to the 500 metre races.
“Winning last weekend was a bonus.
“Swift Beach is probably a little stronger than her litter sister over the 520m. She has a 30.24 at Ipswich while Savanna Beach’s best is 30.40.
“But the bottom line is, if you have speed and get on the bunny you are hard to beat at Ipswich.”
Russell was offered the pick of the Bernardo x Poonyahra litter just after break-in and had no hesitation in his selection.
“These two bitches had done everything right and had been running fast times at break-in,” he said.
Russell’s selection has been proven to be spot-on so far. Both dogs made it through to the Corporate Dollars Challenge Final (520m) at Ipswich, with Savanna Beach taking the honours on that occasion and Swift Beach running third.
Then it was on to the Golden Chase and more success.
Like many local trainers Russell is looking forward to The Q opening, but there is plenty of nostalgia around moving on from the Ipswich Showgrounds track.
For the 59-year-old, Ipswich has been his ‘home track’ since he moved here from Sydney about 28 years ago.
His mum and dad, Maureen and Barry, decided on the sea change 18 months earlier than that.
“Dad was a garbo in Sydney as well as being involved in greyhound racing,” Russell explains.
“We owned a house in Balmain with three kennels out the back.
“Then one day dad declared that he was retiring and that he had decided to make a go of it (greyhound racing).
“And so, they moved up here 30 years ago and went into greyhounds fulltime from then on and had so very hot dogs over the years.
“My brother Andrew came up with them. He now lives in WA.
“I joined mum and dad about 18 months after they came north. I had been involved with the dogs since I was 16.
“Dad died three years ago, but mum, who’s now 85, is still a big part of our operation.
“We have always had about 30 dogs here and so it is a busy kennel.
“My partner Chrissie is a big help, but so is mum. She is still a significant part of the kennel.
“The property (50 acres at Innisplain, about 25km south of Beaudesert) that we have had all this time is great.
“We can do anything here. We have an eight-acre paddock where we can run the dogs. We have a straight track.
“It is basically self-sufficient for training dogs.
“We are up on a hill and we overlook the whole valley.
“It cost us $150,000 to buy it and I’m pretty sure it is worth a fair bit more than that now.”
However, Russell isn’t interested just now in selling and putting his feet up at a beach somewhere.
“There is some really good potential in the young dogs we have in the kennel at the moment,” he says.
“After the Auction Series the Ipswich track closes so I will be then looking at races at Albion Park for these two (Swift Beach and Savanna Beach).”
Although there appears to be plenty of blue sky for Russell with his ‘Beach’ girls, he has even loftier hopes for kennel speedster Wreck James.
The Barcia Bale x Chase Me Honey chaser is close to resuming racing after injuring a toe in an 11.5-length win at Albion Park in late February.
“I believe Wreck James could be a Group One dog in the next six months,” he said.
“I also hope that he might be able to stay, because if he can then I think that will be very interesting.”
As Tropical Cyclone Alfred continues to play havoc with racing at Ipswich, there was just the one trainer with multiple wins at Ipswich meetings over the past week:
Tuesday: Drew Pearce 2 – Mark Jett Power, Nacho Ninja.
