Select Moment ready for Nationals' tilt

By Jordan Gerrans

The Queensland Nationals Sprint heats take centre stage at Albion Park on Thursday evening and despite having a starter in one of the races, trainer Gary Mackay already is casting his eyes seven days down the line.

The Mackay team will present with kennel favourite Fernando Grand in the second of the two heats over the 520 metre trip with the top four from the two heats progressing through to the Sunshine State decider next Thursday.

The Luscombe-based trainer thinks Fernando Grand is going well enough to contend in Thursday’s heat but believes the seven alley is not favourable to his chances.

So, the veteran trainer has his eyes on Fernando Grand’s kennel mate Select Moment, who will have her final run before heading towards the State Distance Championship over 710 metres next Thursday.

Select Moment was a dominant Ipswich Grand Prix victor at her last start over 732 metres.

She faces a 600 metre free for all field on Thursday before her first look at the 710 metre boxes this coming Thursday.

Industry stalwart Mackay was buoyed by her Grand Prix romp, scoring by five lengths in 43.88 seconds.

“That was a hot field with Days Of Thunder and Hidden Agenda, they are real good dogs,” he said.

“She put paid to them early and she kept going, down the straight the second time she was going away from them.

“She is pretty strong to the line and her last sectional times have always been pretty good, as well, regardless of what distance she was running over at the time.”

Mackay – previously the president of the old Beenleigh club – has taken it slow with his daughter of Sennachie.

He has aimed to space her runs as she has gradually stepped up in trip.

The real estate agent by profession was hopeful she would be a black-type contender through the recent winter carnival period of the year before a slight back muscle injury put her on the sidelines.

The black bitch did not race through April and May and has returned with a bang.

She has won four of her seven races since the start of June.

“She has gone better than ever since she has come back from that,” the trainer said.

“I have managed her, I haven’t pushed her every week so I have spaced her runs out.

“She gets light work in between runs and she is a happy dog, that is when she performs well.”

The State Distance Championship over 710 metres will be held next Thursday alongside the Final for the sprint series with the winners of both Finals representing Queensland at the Nationals at The Meadows on Saturday night, August 26.

Select Moment has drawn box one for Thursday’s assignment, an alley she has won from three times from four attempts in her career.

The bitch, by Sennachie out of Paua To Admit, is closely related to Mackay’s top prize money earner Paua To Launch.

He never imaged she would become a stayer.

“None of her brothers or sisters have run the distance and neither have her half-brothers or half-sisters,” Mackay said.

“She is a little bit better than all of them and as she has only just turned three years of age, she still has a good season of racing ahead of her.

“I never thought she would run further than 520 metres because of her progeny and all the litters prior to her on the dam’s side.

“They are mostly sprinters and she is the only one that has come from Paua To Admit that has been able to run 600 metres plus.”

Kennel mate Fernando Grand gets his chance to lob in the Queensland Nationals Sprint Final on Thursday.

Fernando Grand will always a be a special dog to Mackay.

In 2022, Mackay was unsure if Fernando Grand was going to live, let alone return to the race track.

He was struck down with a batch of acidosis and lost around ten kilograms.

Just a few short months later, the son of Fernando Bale was back racing on a Thursday evening at Albion Park.

The ever-consistent dog runs into track record holder Jay Is Jay on Thursday night but Mackay is confident his kennel favourite will put in a big effort.

“He is out too wide,” Mackay said of his draw. 

“He is going well and is fit as a fiddle and if he had drawn inside then I think he could have run a great race.

“He has been a good dog to me, real handy. He never runs a bad race and tries his heart out.”

The top four from each sprint heat will go through to next week’s $24,000 Final.

Mackay has a kennel of two race dogs – who will both go around on Thursday night – as well as two other pups he is working up.