Pre-Christmas features set up thrilling Derby and Golden Sands heats

By Alex Nolan

While one of the winning trainers in Thursday night’s summer carnival features at Albion Park will have slept easily knowing his plans are falling into place, the other faced a more sleepless night.

Northern Rivers trainer Bob Cooke’s plan to get Cash Master to next Thursday’s heats of the Group 2 Queensland Derby took another giant leap in the right direction when the highly promising youngster demolished his rivals in the TAB Christmas Stocking over 520m.

But for TAB Middle Distance Challenge winning trainer Tony Short, his happiness with Hidden Agenda’s win at his third attempt over 600m threw a spanner in the works.

Short was tossing up a start in either the Group 2 Golden Sands Heats over 600m at Albion Park on Wednesday, or waiting 24 hours and dropping back to 520m for the Derby Heats.

Hidden Agenda turns 30 months old on January 7 and would have scraped in to the age-restricted feature worth $75,000.

“That was a good run 35.06 … but in the (Golden Sands) they’re going to be quicker because they’ll be coming up from everywhere so I’m thinking about the Derby because it might be a little easier … and he runs a strong 520,” Short said on Thursday.

But Short also noted that he had been eager to test the black dog over the middle-distance for some time, and on Friday morning notified Racing Queensland that’s where he would stay.  

Hidden Agenda will contest a heat of the $113,000 Golden Sands, with nominations taken on Friday due to the Christmas holiday schedule.

Having just his third start at the trip and after racing three-wide around Come On Aussie and Sunshine Delight throughout, Hidden Agenda toughed it out to beat home that pair by 0.75L in 35.06 seconds to take the Middle Distance Challenge.

It was almost everything Short had wanted to see from the son of Sulzanti and Fernvale Ruby.

“He came out better than I thought he would from box one, so he had his chance then," Short said.

“If you get up there on that first corner you get your chance and he comes home strong.”

He will need to bring his best again next week when he takes on a raft of interstate raiders expected to line up in the Golden Sands heats.

Things would not have been any easier had Short decided to switch back to the Derby, with even more southerners including the highly impressive Cash Master set to make for a mouth-watering series.

Cash Master, a son of Aston Dee Bee out of Cooke’s good producer Cashpot, has genuine claims to the title of the region’s best up-and-coming greyhound, after his demolition job in the Stocking Final.

Jumping fairly from box eight, the red fawn dog showed his customary muster to be in front going past the winning post for the first time and set up an imposing lead going down the back.

Mr. Springtime and Smoking Sam chased gamely to fight out the minor placings but were no match for the now winner of 10 from 14 starts, who went on to score by 7.25L.

Cooke made mention of the Derby after Cash Master recorded a commanding win in the QGOLD Emerging Sprinters final a fortnight ago, at just his second start over the 520m trip.

“He’s showing that he can keep doing it,” Cooke said.

“He has never been brilliant out of the boxes but when he hits the ground he just goes.

“I said to (co-owner) Pat (Gainey) early on that we might be able to win a good race with this dog and he thought I was joking.

“He’ll be back next week if everything’s alright.”

Gainey said he was a little nervous about the wide draw and where the dog would get to in the run.

“He’s not a lid pinger but he came out and got across them and once he hits the lead down the back, he can run good time,” Gainey said.  

Scarily, the Queensland-based owner said there are probably faster dogs in Cash Master’s litter.

“One broke in faster but the penny hasn’t dropped yet,” Gainey said.

“Cash Master is just a good race dog.

“He jumps, rails good and handles Albion Park.”

While Gainey’s name is listed as the sole owner, the partnership is a 50-50 split with Cooke, who cheekily remarked “we’ve got to get those Queensland bonuses!”

Gainey tossed in some cheek of his own, claiming that it was good to keep the prizemoney north of the border and that ‘Cookie’ was “nearly a Queenslander now!”

Earlier, the David Andrews-trained She’s Precocious can lay claim to upset of the meeting, when she knocked off warm favourites Oh Oh Range and Days Of Thunder in the Free For All over 710m.

Sent out as a $23 chance, She’s Precocious found a mid-field position in the small field as Oh Oh Range set up a healthy lead.

But the fawn daughter of Fernando Bale and Zara’s Entity sprouted wings late to run down Oh Oh Range in a slick time of 41.78 seconds.

Popular stayer Days Of Thunder, who lined up for her 50^th start, finished 3L adrift of the winner in third.