Caption: All Natural continues his winning way at Albion Park on Thursday night and now heads north for the Bundaberg Cup heats on Monday. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
Pat McLeod reviews Thursday night’s racing at Albion Park
The Zammit drum roll has started well before the lids fly in the Bundaberg Cup heats on Monday.
Selena and Mick Zammit’s All Natural, runner-up in the Cup last year to local dog Springview Magic, sent an ominous warning north with another sizzling win at Albion Park in a Best 8 (520m).
The litter brother to injured superstar Jay Is Jay continues to emerge from his sibling’s giant shadow, although forced to work for his latest victory, over accomplished group performer Magistrate (Greg Stella), with Sandra Hunt’s Big Town Hero third.
The winning time was 29.73.
No sooner had All Natural posted his third win in a row at The Creek then mentor Mike Zammit declared he was ‘at least a five lengths better dog’ since his last Bundaberg Cup assault.
“It was a good run tonight,” Zammit said of the Best 8 win, which was actually a reduced six-dog field.
“I was a little worried about the speed that was in the race and thought that it wouldn’t be hard to get beaten tonight.
“But he did very well. I am very happy with that.
“As far as Bundaberg goes, the cup heats on Monday, and the quick turn-around, he should be fine.
“There is room for confidence about Bundaberg.
“He has been there before. I believe he’s a lot better, conservatively probably five lengths better than what he was last year.”
All Natural will join littermates Another Chance and Inevitable in the Zammit’s three-pronged attack on the heats of the $112,500 Group 3 Bundaberg Cup (531).
Zammit reports that Jay Is Jay is back in work and should be back on the race track in a couple of weeks.
The sprint star’s first major assignment will be the Golden Easter Egg at Wentworth where he is expected to join All Natural for the heats on March 30.
Caption: Col Graham’s Seven Sinners delivered plenty of smiles with her win in a 5th Grade (600m) Final at Albion Park on Thursday night. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
Col Graham will have difficulty erasing his smile after a very satisfying win to his tenacious bitch Seven Sinners in a 5th Grade 600m Final at Albion Park on Thursday night.
The Fernando Bale x Inspired Hope chaser continued her ever-consistent form with a four-and-a-half-length win over fellow northern NSW-based trainer Mick Patterson’s Doing Fine in 34.94.
Country champion Dixie Gambles, who is currently in the care of Tom Tzouvelis, was third.
Seven Sinners, whose record now sits at 34: 18-6-2 for $99,575 in prizemoney, recently won the inaugural The Richmond Final (620m) at Casino.
With two of his current kennel stars, King Of Aces and Loving Smile, out injured, Seven Sinners has elevated the veteran trainer’s mood.
“She is a little beauty isn’t she,” Graham beamed after the win.
“She usually is really good out of the boxes, but she really nailed it tonight.
“Her start was great.
“She is also probably getting stronger over the 600 now that she has had a few runs over that distance.”
Caption: John Quarman with his veteran racer and recent ‘mum’ Some Idea after a Masters win over 520m on Thursday night at Albion Park. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
Smiling just as broadly was Elimbah (just north of Brisbane) trainer John Quarman after his veteran ‘mum’ Some Idea won a 5th Grade Masters (520m) on Thursday night, at her 128th start.
“She is a good girl,” he said after Some Idea had edged out Special Cyndie (Cyndie Elson) by a head with Lucky Lance (Robert Ayres) third.
“She is five in two days and recently gave birth to seven pups to Ferdinand Boy.
“Everyone has always told me that a bitch will come back stronger after having pups.
“I thought that because she is a dog that just loves to run, loves to chase, I would put that to the test and let’s just see how we go.
“Well, she has probably come back better than ever.”
Backing that up is the winning time – 30.26 – which is just outside her PB of 30.24.
Quarman said ‘there is definitely a place for her on the couch as soon as she is ready to leave the track’, but at the moment he was letting her enjoy what she enjoys most.
“She just loves running and chasing. She will let me know when she has had enough,” he said.
And the seven pups? They are all looking great and Quarman intends keeping them all.
*****
All Natural may have taken out the Best 8 on Thursday night at The Creek in 29.73, but that wasn’t the BON.
That honour went to the prolific Cyndie Elson kennel with Cyndie’s Cyndie clocking a swift 29.72 in winning a 5th Grade heat (520m).
The Dyna Double One x Cyndie’s Magic bitch was a commanding winner by just over four lengths with Watch The Franky (Craig Cardoll) second and Kerri-Lyn Harkness’ Master Distiller third.
The Elson kennel recorded another multiple-winning night with Cincinnati Lana taking out Race 9, a 4th Grade 520m.
