Caption: Jemma Daley’s Hara’s Skye has been in sensational from in south-east Queensland, winning here at Albion Park (Photo: Box 1 Photography) .
Queensland Regional wrap with MIKE HILL
CLUB officials are confident this month’s Burdekin Veterinary Services $60,000 Group 3 Townsville Cup (498m) will be one of the best ever.
Already the city’s abuzz with the annual carnival now spanning five big nights following the club’s inaugural Wildcard Series last month.
And a record prizemoney pool topping $250,000 will be distributed over the carnival period.
Secretary-manager Jackie Belford said the club was preparing for a huge night.
“It will be our richest 12-race Cup program ever,” she said.
“We have a big night planned with the focus on fun and excitement and being a Friday it’ll have a tropical flavour.
“Trainers and handlers will be decked out in colourful Hawaiian or floral shirts keeping our Tropical Friday theme going into the night.
“And as far as racing goes, many locals believe we can at last achieve a hometown victory,” she said.
“It’s been a long time since a Townsville-trained dog has won the Cup.
“With the introduction of the Wildcard Series we are guaranteed at least one local runner in the feature final and we are confident we’ll have more.
“The Wildcard, restricted to ‘local’ dogs, attracted three heats, which was a nice surprise and we expect many of those dogs to progress into the Cup series.”
As well as the $40,000-to-the-winner Cup final, the club will stage the $14,540 TGBOTA North Queensland Sprint (380m), the $10,000 Cup Consolation (498m), $7560 Wee Win Kennels Stayers Challenge (643m), $4700 Judy Olsen Maiden 1000 (380m), $2650 Binks and Marlene Walker 4/5th Grade (380m) and the $2625 Taylor Family Colour Run 5th Grade (380m).
Vice-president and leading trainer Brad Belford said the club was hoping for an influx of southern visitors.
“The industry is thriving up here and we want people to come and experience racing in the north,” he said.
Last month several southern trainers were still undecided about making the trip to Townsville.
However, one who is definitely heading north with an air of confidence is Kurwongbah-based Jemma Daley, trainer of outstanding sprinter Hara’s Skye.
“I’ve set my bitch a gruelling program and it will be very rewarding if she can pull it off,” Daley said.
Hara’s Skye gave the young trainer her first feature victory with an impressive win over litter sister and kennelmate Hara’s River in the Listed $24,000 Ipswich Young Guns (520m) in late July.
The daughter of Fernando Bale and Hara’s Honey clocked a fast 30.27s (BON) and a week later won over the same trip in a flying 30.15s, also a BON run.
“She’s flying at the moment and she loves the rails,” said Daley.
The trainer said Hara’s Skye then ran a super 23.98s post-to-post at Albion Park last month leading into the Molly Campbell Silver Dollars Series and followed it up with a quick 29.82s in winning her MC heat, leading all the way.
“She has great early box speed and with a bit of luck and a good box draw I’m confident she will be right in it at Townsville.
“I think she’ll handle the track okay.”
Early last month, Hara’s Skye’s record stood at 10 wins and six placings from just 20 starts with earnings just over $52,500.
Daley said she would also run Hara’s Herbie and possibly Where’s The Bar in the Cup heats and Hara’s Betty in the Stayer’s Challenge (643m).
Meanwhile, Matt Heilbronn, trainer of last year’s Cup winner Dulceria, said his talented bitch was still on track for a title defence despite an injury setback.
“She suffered a high fibula injury in July,” the trainer said.
“She’s had 3-4 weeks off but at this stage it is still full steam ahead.”
Ex-northerner Darryl Hancock, son of leading trainer-breeder Frank Hancock is another one definitely heading to Townsville.
Hancock, based at Spring Grove in northern NSW, is taking two smart sprinters to the carnival – littermates Horace (for the Cup) and Diamond Jill (NQ Sprint).
“Horace is coming back from injury,” he said.
“He hasn’t raced for more than a month after injuring a hock.
“We had planned to take him up for last year’s Cup but they closed the border because of Covid and we couldn’t go.
“He was flying at the time.”
Hancock said the well-bred Horace (Black Magic Opal-Lady Abigail) gave the impression early on in his career ‘that he could be anything but he’s been plagued by bad luck’.
He has suffered two nasty falls at Albion Park – in a heat of the Young Guns in May last year and again over the 520m trip in February this year.
Despite the setbacks Horace still has an impressive 13-8-2 record from 33 starts with prizemoney just under $33,500.
“The Cup is the one race Dad didn’t win when he lived in north Queensland and it’s a race he definitely would love to win.”
Frank won the Cup Consolation with Sonic Thunder in 2017. The sprinter clocked a smart 28.65s -.25s faster than the Tom Tzouvelis-trained Gadsby’s Road (28.90s) ran in winning the Cup final two races later.
Hancock’s other runner Diamond Jill has been highly impressive at Grafton recently.
The white and blue bitch has been placed in 12 of her past 14 starts over the 350m trip and her career record stands at 12-11-5 from 42 starts.
Cup regular Tom Tzouvelis will again head north with a small but talented team.
Who’s the King of the North?
MEANWHILE, the question is: Who’s the King?
Townsville’s Brad Belford let it slip that good mate and fellow leading country trainer Ken Boody had congratulated him on his six-win haul early last month, calling him the ‘King of the North’.
“It’s a bit of a joke we have with each other,” said Brad.
Boody, also having a wonderful season with the collar and lead, currently heads the Rockhampton trainers premiership with a stunning 117 wins for the year. Belford leads at Townsville with 93 wins.
“I said, no, you’re the King.”
Which prompted a quick reply from Boody: “You’re the King of the North, I’m the Prince of Central Queensland.”
Bundy track renovations delayed
BUNDABERG track renovations are running a bit behind time.
Club president Steve Bland said the start had been delayed a month and was now expected to begin on September 5.
“We’re anticipating it will take four-to-six months to complete.”
RQ General Manager of Operations, Adam Wallish said: “The cessation of racing at Bundaberg will allow Racing Queensland to undertake vitally important modifications to aged racing infrastructure at the track.”
RQ has also introduced a Bundaberg Greyhound Care Assistance Fund for local kennels.
Wallish said: “During the construction period, locally trained greyhounds will not have a local racing option inside a six-hour return journey.
“The assistance package provides a positive level of support to the racing greyhounds that will be impacted.”
To be eligible for assistance from the fund, greyhounds must have been trained in the Bundaberg region (defined as those areas within the postcodes 4570 to 4677) and have raced at Bundaberg at least once between April 1, 2022, and July 25, 2022, inclusive, while in the care of the local trainer.
