Jungle Deuce justifies favouritism with freakish Flying Amy win

By Isaac Murphy

It was going to take some sort of run to win the stacked Group 2 Flying Amy Final, and Forbes trainer Jack Smith had just the dog to do it.

Jungle Deuce elevated himself to superstar status as he careered away with the biggest win of his blossoming career.

The dog was highly fancied coming into the series following recent wins in the Brother Fox at Dubbo and Group 3 New Sensation at Wentworth Park, but the Flying Amy was by far his biggest test and he answered emphatically clocking 29.54 seconds.

Smith - who’s enjoyed tremendous success with cult hero Feral Franky - couldn’t quite believe he’d found another similar talent.

“I’m so grateful to be apart of the journey this dog’s taking me on, we were a nose away from not being here this week when he won his heat in the pouring rain and we walk away with the Group 2 Flying Amy,” he said.

“You can speak about the dog’s talent as much as you want and he’s got plenty of it but he’s got a sense for the occasion as well, the Group 3 New Sensation at Wenty, the Brother Fox at Dubbo and now this he finds a new level when he needs to.

“There were quicker box dogs than him in that race, but he found away to muscle his way through at the first turn and he doesn’t get run down when he finds the front.”

Smith was humble as always in victory but couldn’t help cracking a smile after a big couple of days and with plenty to look forward to.

“Not a bad couple of days for a bloke from Forbes, I was in the hotel watching New South Wales win Origin last night and now this guy's come out and won the biggest race of his career thus far,” he laughed.

“I was always hoping we would get the nod for the Origin match race and he’s going to be hard to turn down after running 29.54, the concept will suit his strengths to a tee.

“Albion Park’s been very good to me; the Club has been nothing but accommodating since I contacted them about getting him a trial up here and I hope people get a bit of a kick out of seeing this dog race tonight and over the coming weeks.”

Zipping Niseko stays perfect in Queensland

The Listed Dashing Corsair changed complexion dramatically before the jump, with the sensational late scratching of former Group 1 Queensland Cup winner Classy Ethics, leaving box one vacant.

Queensland star Maggie Moo Moo came in for heavy support upon the news and was backed into favourite from box two, while New South Wales stayer Zipping Niseko was on the drift.

However, it was the latter who was simply too strong, walking away with a Listed win and a blockbuster schedule over the next few weeks.

Interim trainer Tony Brett said he couldn’t be more impressed with the bitch who continued to step up to the plate.

“Only having had the bitch for a few weeks I’m still learning what she’s capable of, she had to work pretty hard to slide across outside the leader tonight from box seven and looked a sitting duck, but she just keeps finding,” he said.

“She had the wrong dog on her tail too; Maggie Moo Moo was a bit too close for comfort in the run, but this bitch clearly has a will to win which is something you don’t see in stayers as young as her.

“She’s been a treat to have at home, just goes about her business and does the same on the track - her confidence has got to be sky high heading forward.”

The win could be the start of bigger things for the bitch who is poised to challenge in the approaching invitation racing.

“I’d hope she’s locked her spot down for Origin now and hopefully she’ll stick around for the Super Stayers and Queensland Cup because she’s taken a real liking to the place,” Brett said.

“We’ve seen in previous years front-running stayers like her are very hard to beat in the Group 1s and she’s only going to get better.

“It’ll be a bit odd having the reigns on a New South Wales runner being a proud Queenslander, but I’m sure all the connections will spare me the flack if she wins.”

Queensland gains crucial Origin recall

Jamie Hosking’s bitch Micks Recall emerged as one of Queensland’s most exciting young stayers last year but was struck down by injury just as her distance career began.

Hosking always knew he would get her back and targeted the Winter Carnival from a long way out, and despite a chequered passage to Thursday's Free For All over the 700, she looks set for a stunning campaign after the dominant win.

“She’s just a machine this bitch, the plan was to have her up over the 700 a couple of weeks earlier than this but when she fell first up over the sprint, we thought her Winter Carnival might have been over,” Hosking said.

“Somehow she escaped without anything serious, but we still had a very small window to get her ready for this run which was essentially an Origin audition.

“We were able to get a solo 600-metre trial into her which I was happy with, but there was still a lot of unknowns getting back up to the 700 for the first time.”

Micks Recall answered those questions emphatically in a first out first home display that could lock her into Queensland’s Origin distance team.

“She’s run a personal best tonight (41.82) and we don’t have her anywhere near as fit as she hopefully will be in the next few weeks,” Hosking said.

“I’m not a selector but with Origin squads being picked tomorrow, that’s perfect timing to come out and put her name front and centre.”

“I’m in a little bit of shock, with everything that went wrong in her preparation to come out and do that suddenly there are races on the table again we didn’t think she’d be ready for.”

Handsome Prince makes a handy return

Peter Lagogiane’s reigning Million Dollar Chase winner Handsome Prince also made his highly anticipated return to racing and smoked them down the back in a crucial win for the dog.

“Relief would have to be the overriding emotion, it’s been a journey with this dog that was only his second 500 in four months, he did plenty wrong and still got the money,” Lagogiane said.

“It’s a hard 520 metres up here and given his lack of racing I shouldn’t be all that surprised about him struggling a little bit in the run home, but there was plenty to like as well.

“He copped a bit of a bump early but that didn’t bother him, and I think the thing that’s going to separate him is his second section, in his post-to-post, trial and now tonight in the race it’s been electric each time - that’s where he’s going to win tougher races.”