Cluster finally stands alone in the spotlight

By Pat McLeod

Cluster, the ‘Covid baby’, is poised to not only bring Nationals glory to Queensland, but to fly the victory flag for every underdog.

Always in the shadows of his spectacularly successful litter brothers Jay Is Jay and All Natural, Cluster will finally have his own spotlight in the Group 1 National Sprint Final over 530 metres at Adelaide’s Angle Park on Saturday night.

Jumping from box one, Cluster ($5) was on the third line of betting behind WA’s Miss Envy ($3.20) and Uncle Tommy ($4.60) in early markets.

His trainer, and self-proclaimed biggest fan, Selena Zammit, has belief that the planets are aligning for a fairytale finish.

“Cluster can win because he is a consistent, hard chaser,” Selena said.

Selena will fly to Adelaide on Friday afternoon with Cluster.

“He always tries, he just needs a little bit of luck early,” Selena said.

“If he jumps and holds his line, you never know what will happen.

“He has box one, and at home (Albion Park) I prefer him out of anything else, but down there I think that box gives him the best chance.

“Cluster will be there knocking on the door if he is given his chance.

“I truly believe he is a definite chance. He very rarely puts in a bad run. He always gives everything.”

Cluster produced a less than impressive trial run at Angle Park last Thursday night (30.75 seconds), but that means little to Selena.

“He is a race dog, not a trial dog,” Selena said.

“He seldom trials well, but come race time, well that is a different story.”

From when they were first stretching their racing muscles, Jay Is Jay and All Natural were the stand outs of a spectacular Sennachie and Kealoah litter.

Cluster may not have been the one impressing on the track, but he had already won Selena’s heart.

“He was my favourite from day one and that has never changed,” she said.

“Whether Mick (Jay Is Jay) was going faster or Bam Bam (All Natural) was going faster, it didn't matter to me. Mac And Cheese (Cluster) was always my special boy.

“Outwardly, there may be nothing special about him, but he is just special to me.

“I realise everyone loves their dogs. But, there is something about him that just brings out the best in me. Of course, he does get very jealous when he is not the centre of attention. He wants all the pats and cuddles.

“If ever we are at another kennel and I pat another dog he literally turns his head in disgust. So, he can be temperamental and emotional.”

To date Cluster has raced 61 times for 21 wins, 25 placings and $185,720 in prize money.

Selena said with the retired Jay Is Jay amassing $1.555 million in prize money and the injured All Natural on $327,180, it was fitting for Cluster to now have his own share of the spotlight.

“It would be special for him to do well in Adelaide because not only is it a Group 1 race, but Michael and I are always extremely proud to represent our state,” she said.

There is a clear Zammit brand across these Nationals with Mick Zammit’s older brother Tony leading distance queen Valpolicella into the Group 1 distance finale over 730 metres as the early favourite.

Queensland will be represented by Hara’s Buddy (trained by Jemma Daley) and Sheezel (Brent Kline) in the Group 3 National Straight Track Championship over 350 metres, to be run at the Murray Bridge track on Saturday morning.

And, the name, Cluster?

No, it has nothing to do with the slang term for ‘a disastrously mishandled situation’.

As Selena explains: “Three or four years ago Covid had just hit and on the news there would always be reference to a ‘cluster of Covid cases’ here or a ‘cluster of Covid cases’ there.

“It seemed that ‘cluster’ was the ‘in’ word.

“Michael said we should name a dog ‘Cluster’, so I went straight away and registered it. So, Cluster is our ‘Covid baby’.”