Country Cup trio could deliver Chaffey a Brisbane ‘road trip’

By Wayne Heming

Top local trainer Bobbie Jean Chaffey gives her three runners in Tuesday’s $7,700 feature Townsville Country Cup final (498m) a winning chance, but warns if Bar One Smokers is within five lengths of the leaders coming to the turn, ‘look out’.

Chaffey, well on the way to another 100-plus winning season, has three dogs - King Amar (box one), Bar One Smokers (box three) and recent Townsville Derby winner Solomon Cain, who jumps from the blue box.

Chaffey couldn’t split her finalists, declaring they were fit, in form, and were well-boxed.

It’s a major training triumph for Chaffey to qualify three runners for a feature race for the first time.

“I’m pretty sure it’s a first for me,” she said of her training feat.

Chaffey rated the chances of her three dogs individually.

“King Amar, would need to fly the lids and set up a big lead to win," she said.

“He is not as strong at the finish as the other two, so he’ll need a good lead into the straight.”

Bar One Smokers is a top chance,  according to Chaffey, because he possesses a powerful finishing burst.

“He likes box three and he had a fantastic year last year making the Group 3 Townsville Cup,” she said.

“He’s proven at 500m and he has been jumping well. If he is second or third coming to the straight, the other runners will need to look in the rearview mirrors because he has a big finish.”

Of the chances of her other runner, Solomon Cain, she said he was a great dog who tried hard every time he was put in the boxes.

"He also has a strong finish and he’s gone from strength to strength since his Derby win.

"We've always had an opinion of him.

“If he gets to the front, they may have trouble running him down.”

Solomon Cain was at his best in the Derby win in September last year, flying out of box six before turning on the afterburners, posting a 5.3 length win around the Townsville circuit.

He is raced by a Rockhampton syndicate who cleaned up in the Derby.

But they won’t be getting $17 this time.

With racing at Bundaberg suspended at the moment, the first four home in the Townsville final will join the first four from last week's Rockhampton Country Cup final to contest the Regional Country Cup final at Albion Park on Thursday, January 30.

“It would be nice to take a trip to Brisbane with all three dogs,” said Chaffey.

“I’m not sure what we’d do with the rest of the dogs here,” she added with a laugh.

“We are all keen for a trip to Brisbane.

“It’s just as easy to take three dogs as one.

“We’d make a little road trip out of it."