Perseverance pays for Stella and Regal Opal

By Isaac Murphy

Reading Regal Opal’s form you could be forgiven for thinking she belongs in tougher company than Thursday night’s Racing Queensland Masters Final at Albion Park.

However, taking into account the trials and tribulations trainer Greg Stella has gone through to get her healthy and to the track, she’s found her right race and Stella would love to make up for more than a year on the sidelines with a feature win.

With the race on the horizon, Stella fast-tracked Regal Opal’s return from her latest injury and she responded brilliantly winning last week’s heat in 30.19 - just off her 30.14 career best.

“I was more than happy with the effort for her first 520 metres since her latest resumption; she’d had a couple of stewards trials, but to do it under race conditions was really good to see,” Stella said.

“Despite only having the 25 starts she doesn’t turn four until a couple of months.

“She’s had two injury layoffs that have lasted more than six months, it was a blessing to bring her back in Masters grade and not against some good young dogs in the Fifth Grades.”

Stella was not only worried about the result but also Regal Opal’s health in her first competitive five hundred race back, but he couldn’t be more pleased how she pulled up and was on track for this week’s final.

“We earmarked the race for her about eight weeks ago, but we were a little bit behind schedule and had to rush through her work and get a couple of short-course runs in which have topped her up at just the right time,” he said.

“She’s tightened up well from her heat run and she looks a treat.

“She got a tough draw in the final (6) which she does have the speed to offset, but she’s going to have to get it right early because Darryl McGrath’s bitch (Georgie Mac) in the five can fly early too.

“I think Emma Said for Des Gilroy is the runner who’s come off best from the box draw, she’s ideally suited near the fence and probably has the strength advantage late.”

The Masters Final is no walk in the park with seasoned talent across the board, and Stella is relying on the lightly raced bitch’s sprightly start to set up her race.

“Opal’s greatest asset is her acceleration to the first mark, she’s gone 5.49 early and has a good strike rate from box six as well so I’m pretty confident she’ll be there on the first corner,” he said.

“If you lead cleanly around that first corner at Albion when there’s a bit of speed behind you in the race, you’re always a chance of getting a race winning break down the back and she’s a chance to do just that.

“It’s a hot field for a Masters race and you’d expect nothing less with the prize money on offer that a few dogs have been held back to target the race.

“She’s Some Gal and Proper Gent stand out as two other strong chances but you could make a case for them all.”

A mere 25 starts for ten wins and seven minors look very nice in the form guide but they don’t tell you the injuries Regal Opal has had to overcome, and Stella was always determined to stick with her.

“She’s had more than her fair share of bad luck along the way, she had a right hock issue way back in January 2019 when she cracked a central carpal bone and that resulted in well over six months off - it was a cruel blow as she just looked to be hitting her straps at two-and-a-half,” he said.

“The hock healed really well, and we haven’t had any problems with it since then, but December last year she turned her head in a race which was very uncharacteristic and pulled up with a badly injured pin muscle as well.

“We thought we had the pin muscle right and she tore it again and that leads us to the last few months where she’s had to go through her steward’s trials to get back to the track, but she lost well over a year of racing.”

Stella’s perseverance has seemingly paid off, with plenty of good racing in front of Regal Opal who will only increase her brood bitch standing with her results.

“It’s rewarding getting her back and seeing her win like she did last week, and the plan is to keep her going for at least a few months," he said.

"She’s only had twenty-five starts, she’d be the baby of this Masters Final by some distance and we’d love to knock off the final.

“When her time comes we’re definitely looking at breeding with her; the dam line with Regal Lauryn is very strong and she’ll be joining her sister Regal Topaz at the breeders who won a few Best 8’s and a Winged Runner Trophy at Albion Park - we think they will both produce really well.

“They’ve both got some enviable attributes, Regal Topaz was probably a fraction slower early but a stronger race bitch, while Opal always had her early speed as a crutch.”