PANDORA’S REMINDER IN FUTURITY
Group 2 Bogie Leigh Futurity-winning trainer Jemma Daley says it was pleasing to see Hara’s Pandora remind everyone that she is a force to be reckoned with but is reluctant to toss the rejuvenated youngster into the lion’s den of Group 1 racing this summer.
Daley collected her second Group 2 in as many months via Hara’s Pandora on Thursday, with Ipswich Cup winner Hara’s Herbie forced to settle for third after starting favourite in the Derby.
Daley’s other Futurity hope Hara’s Opal produced, arguably, the run of the race to come from a long way back and snare third but will head for precautionary scans after sustaining a suspected hock strain.
Hara’s Pandora went into last week’s heats 28 days between runs after contesting a rough and tumble QGOLD Emerging Sprinters heat at Albion Park early last month.
To Daley’s delight, the 25kg bitch manage to fill a minor placing and book her place in the $75,000 Final, where she started from box two.
Jumping cleanly, Hara’s Pandora was able to follow early leader Balmy Nights around the first turn before putting her foot down in the back straight.
Running home in 11.84 and 12.72 seconds, Hara’s Pandora ($2.90) powered away to beat Balmy Nights ($26) by a widening 4.5 lengths, with litter mate Hara’s Opal ($15) rattling home to finish a further 3.25 lengths adrift.
Naturally, the immediate questions post-race were “what’s next?” for the newly-crowned Group 2 winning Hara’s Pandora.
“People are asking ‘what’s next’ but I have got to be realistic,” Daley explained.
“She is a 25kg bitch and I’m not sure I want to throw her in the rough and tough on the big stage.
“We’re just starting to see her confidence coming back after being knocked around a bit.
“We just take it day by day with her, knowing that she tapered off for a while and got a bit sour on racing, which is why she’s had a bit of a break.”
Nonetheless, Daley was thrilled with the effort.
“She went into the heat so underdone and to finish off like she did, I thought, put her nearly at her best,” Daley said.
“It all fell into place last night, she had the right box but she put paid to them in the straight.
“She rattled up that back section and was running home quite well.
“Last night was a super run, but I know she can go quicker again.”
Daley will consider taking Hara’s Pandora and, possibly, Hara’s Opal on a fact-finding mission to Wentworth Park in Sydney.
“Hara’s Opal has 600-700 metres stamped all over her but we’ll just see, her health and safety is at the front of our minds so we want to make sure she’s 110 per cent first,” Daley said.
In the Derby, Hara’s Herbie cost himself any reasonable winning chance when he missed the start, despite drawing the coveted rails.
“When you’re on the back foot against dogs like that in a big Final, it’s hard to win,” Daley said.
“But, he has run a massive race to finish third.
“All credit to Mick and Selena Zammit.”
ANOTHER SLIDING DOOR MOMENT FOR JAY IS JAY
“We knew nobody could run faster than us.”
That was the one thing the Selena and Michael Zammit kennel was confident about with Jay Is Jay heading into the Derby Final.
But, many questions remained unanswered.
That was until the dog blessed with super speed and untapped potential put it all together from box eight and recorded a dominant victory in the Group 2.
Beaten as a $1.40 favourite in his heat, in which Mick Zammit believes the dog had genuine excuses, as much as $10 was bet about the son of Sennachie and Kealoah.
After holding his line from box eight and finding the back of early leader Starline Express, Jay Is Jay made his move in the back straight and went on to score by 3 lengths in a scorching 29.88 seconds – the fastest time of the night on a rain-affected track.
“There’s not too many quicker in Queensland than him,” Mick said.
“I wouldn’t say we were over-confident, but knew that if things went our way we could take advantage of it.
“We’re extremely pleased. It’s tough to do what he did, sitting outside a dog, get past them and beat them. That can take a lot out of them but he seemed to do it easily.
“He hasn’t been wrapped in cotton wool. He’s still a fifth-grade dog at every track, over every distance.
“He raced out of his class in the Queensland Flame and a Free For All and his runs were very commendable.”
The kennel won’t shy away from throwing the 26-month-old in the deep end in the coming weeks.
Jay Is Jay will be nominated for heats of the Golden Ticket with a view to scoring automatic entry into the Group 1 Gold Bullion in early February.
A special dog for the family, Jay Is Jay is out of Kealoah, who was trained by Selena’s late father Jeff Jones and owned by her mother, Lillian.
And, with the Derby being sponsored by Sennachie at Stud, who won the Derby in 2019, it added another interesting chapter to the dog’s story.
“It was a sliding door moment,” Zammit said.
“Not only with Selena, her mother and the connection with the dog and Kealoah, but the choice of sire was through the connection with Steven White and Sennachie staying with us.
“We’d never met Sennachie’s owner Steve White before the dog came to stay with us, but he came and trialled and then won the Derby.
“That was one of the reasons Kealoah was sent to Sennachie.
“I don’t watch racing as closely as I used to but I think Sennachie will throw top-liners everywhere because they’re good looking dogs, they run 500 and get to the line.
“I can’t see him not being a top sire.”