Ellis makes Impact with Flying Amy fancy

By Isaac Murphy

It was a cloudy night in Brisbane, but the stars were out at Albion Park with five heats of the $113,000 Group 2 Flying Amy Classic, and two heats of the Listed Dashing Corsair for the stayers.

Despite the intrepid weather, the big names were not to be denied, setting up two cracking finals next Thursday night.

On a night where quick times were expected, it took until heat three of the Flying Amy when the rain had eased for the Kev Ellis-trained Impact to rattle off a 29.73-second win.

The dog has only had a dozen starts, but claimed his place in the Group 2 Final ahead of quality Victorians Do It and Qwara Bale, and the Queenslander looks like the real deal.

“He just keeps answering the bell at the moment this dog, a couple of months ago he was running in a maiden series at Capalaba and each time I’ve asked him to step up in his Novice, Fifth Grade, Young Guns and now a Group 2 - he’s handled it,” Ellis said.

“I knew he’d be a 29.73 or better dog at Albion Park but wasn’t expecting it tonight with nothing cracking 30 until now.

“He’s as strong as an ox when he gets to the front, I’ll say it again next week's a whole new ball game but if he can draw an inside box, he’s capable.”

Smith doubles down with a pair of finalists

New South Wales trainer David Smith came with chances in both the Flying Amy and Dashing Corsair heats, and he wasn’t disappointed.

Ice Cream Story won over the sprint and former Queensland Group 1 winner Classy Ethics stormed home over the 700.

“She (Ice Cream Story) needed a bit of luck from box four tonight, she’s lost a bit of her early speed but is very strong home which was the decisive factor tonight,” Smith said.

“Classy Ethics has done most of his racing in New South Wales and Victoria, but her best forms always been here in Queensland, and it was great to see her hitting the line tonight.

“Having two finalists will certainly make for a happier drive home and we’ll be coming here next week optimistic about our chances.”

Louis rumbles his way into a second Group final

Steve Kavanagh’s Louis Rumble booked a return bout with Jungle Deuce in the Flying Amy Final after Ray Smith’s dog got the better of their Group 3 New Sensation Clash earlier this year.

The dog paired off in a great battle with Young Guns winner Orchestrate, Louis Rumble just a bit stronger to the line in 30.04.

“The dog’s been bursting to win a race, things just hadn’t gone his way recently; that’s why I gave him the run at Casino in a tad easier race hoping he could get some confidence going into this week,” Kavanagh said.

“Early in his career I would have said he needs and inside draw to win a race like this, but he’s got a good head on his shoulders and kept his momentum well around that first turn.

“Tony’s dog (Orchestrate) got the better of us in the Young Guns swooping across from the eight, it was nice to reverse the result tonight, but the true test will come next week.”

Jungle Deuce Braves the Wet in Gritty Win

Jungle Deuce got the worst of the conditions in his heat but even in driving rain from box seven Ray Smith’s kennel star found away to climb over the top of Tony Zammit’s Merchant Navy in the last stride of his Flying Amy heat.

Smith was more relieved than anything and said he would reserve judgement on the performance until the other heats were run.

“I brought him to win his heat and make a Group 2 final, he’s done that but I’m not sure how much you can take away from that form wise given the conditions,” he said.

“What I can say is he made it through his Brother Fox win at Dubbo last week well and travelled a treat, I’m just keen to see how his time (30.23) stacks up against the other heats given he trialled 29.86 here a fortnight ago.

“Ill have to watch the replay to see just how he made his way to the front, but it looked like for the second week running he jumped well from an outside box, and I’ve got to be optimistic going forward given he’s always improved in finals.”

Elson bitch more than just a Hope

The final heat of the Flying Amy had a distinctly Queensland flavour to it, with Cyndie Elson's Hopeful Hope and Daniel Lee’s Nando Dreamer both advancing with their quinella.

Hopeful Hope is a four-time winner at track and trip but had never raced in anywhere near this class, but she rose to the challenge surging to the lead down the back breaking 30 seconds (29.97) for the first time.

Nando Dreamer has always been a strong type and it looked the chaser's race looming up on the home turn, but the leader kicked back to win be three quarters of a length.

The pair will join Orchestrate and Impact in representing Queensland in next week’s Final.

Brett Bullish about Potential Staying Duo

Zipping Niseko has emerged as one of New South Wales' boom young stayers in 2021, and she started her Brisbane Winter Carnival campaign on the right foot.

The bitch showed trademark early speed to win her heat of the Listed Dashing Corsair for interim trainer Tony Brett.

“She only arrived on Saturday from New South Wales; we were able to give her a hit-out over the 600, but I still thought she might be a bit fresh tonight given her last few runs were over the middle-distance,” Brett said.

“To go forward tonight she was a little bit of a sitting duck out in front on a wet track but to her credit she’s shown me she’s got some guts to go with the talent - she’ll be hard to beat next week.

“I knew she did her best work as a front-running stayer and first look from the 700 boxes she was extremely professional railing up underneath them early."

Brett hopes to have a two-pronged attack come Group 1 Queensland Cup time with South Australian champion Sir Truculent not too far away from joining Zipping Niseko in Brisbane.

“I haven’t had many stayers in recent years, having Sir Truculent come up here at the beginning of the year and win the feature staying race was a real thrill and I’m hoping he joins this bitch in the next couple of weeks,” Brett said.

“I’d talked previously with his owner Wally Harkins about bringing him up for the Carnival and I saw just before the race I had a missed call from him, so hopefully we’re arranging travel details.

“He went fantastic running second in the Speed Star earlier this week and having seen the track before he should pick up where he left off.”

Catton cashes in with surprise stayer

Lucky Hero has been a mercurial talent for the Catton kennel.

Early in his career it looked like the sky was the limit, with some cracking runs over the 600, but repeated injuries have stunted his progress until now.

Three-years-old and far more mature, the trainer produced him in great order in the heats of the Listed Dashing Corsair over the staying trip where he nosed out Group 1 star Maggie Moo Moo - much to the delight of his trainer.

“He’s never been an easy dog to train if he doesn’t get it his own way, he can put in some shockers, couple that with plenty on injury spells and that’s why we haven’t seen the best of him,” Catton said. 

“The goal was to get him fit for races like this in the Winter Carnival; his work at home has been huge, I was just hoping it’d equate to the track, and he’s shown it has tonight.

“As happy as I am winning a heat of Listed race, if he can keep building on what he’s done tonight who knows what heights he can reach in the near future.”