Frisby opens Winter account but hopes for more

By Duane Ranger

Bathurst trainer Chris Frisby opened his ‘winter account’ at Albion Park on Saturday night.

Now he’s hoping the $200,000 Blacks A Fake will be one of 20 more winners he can stack up while visiting Queensland.

“Last year I had 20 wins up here. My best horse – Our Uncle Sam – is still to arrive, but I brought seven up here and sent one home already. The wee fella won well on Saturday,” Frisby said.

The little horse he was referring to was race one winner, Our Wall Street Wolf, who got the passing lane half-neck win thanks to a perfectly judged Ben Battle Drive.

It was the McArdle gelding’s 14^th win and fifth at ‘The Creek’. The 5-year-old was the $5 second favourite and paced a 1:54.7 mile rate for the 2,138m mobile.

Frisby said he arrived at the Tweeds Heads Pony Club on June 2 and will leave for home in August. Our Uncle Sam, who won the Group One $100,000 Bohemia Crystal at Tabcorp Park Menangle two starts back, will arrive within the next couple of weeks.

“’Sam’ won a Listed Classic race at Redcliffe last July. He’s the only one still to get here because he raced in the Group Three pace at Menangle on Saturday (seventh).

“Our (15-win) mare, Major Occasion, will head to Melbourne for her racing," Frisby said.

Frisby believed that if Our Major Sam could get some luck and a nice trip then he could go close in next month’s prestigious Blacks A Fake Pace.

However, he believed current Queensland Horse-of-the-Year, Colt Thirty One, would be one of the toughest to beat.

“He’s going real well at the moment. He’s a very nice pacer. He’s always be a nice horse. Grant (Dixon) has got peaking nicely for the Carnival,” said Frisby.

Despite being attacked a couple of times in Saturday’s feature pace, Colt Thirty One was always travelling better than his 11 opponents and because of that racked up his 29th career win in 42 starts.

He's also placed eight times and banked $515,592. Twenty six of those wins have been at Albion Park.

It was appropriate that the Kevin and Kay Seymour owned Colt Thirty One, won the Listed $25,000 Egmont Park Stud Mr Feelgood Open Pace. They of course own the 2009 Interdominion champion, Mr Feelgood.

Trainer/driver Dixon was delighted with the gutsy 2.4m – 1:53.4 mile rate win, especially after being attacked for the lead.

“I’m really really happy him now. He’s really starting to hit peak fitness. Fingers crossed, I just hope everything goes right for him between now and Winter Carnival

“He felt strong at the line. I’ll probably look to the Redcliffe Cup with him now and then just keep ticking him over to the Carnival,” Dixon said.

The other highlight of the evening came from the Butt brothers – Tim and Anthony.

The former trained a double while the latter drove a treble behind Barrett for his cousin Mark Jones; and I’m Rocknroll Magic and Majestic Courtney for his older brother.

Major Courtney was the Butt brothers first Queensland trotting winner since the mighty Take a Moment won the Group One $200,000 Trotters' Interdominion Grand Final at Albion Park 18 years ago.