Lengthy family friendship behind Cobber’s Golden run

By Pat McLeod

A close family friendship, tracing back decades, is the platform to Good Odds Cobber’s sizzling run towards Group 1 glory in the Queensland Golden Greys Summer Carnival.

The Frank Hurst-owned-and-trained sprinter surprised many when he upstaged class Victorian act Smooth Plane in a head-to-head match race at Albion Park on Thursday night.

The win in 29.50 seconds in the final of the Golden Ticket Series earned the Fernando Bale x Good Odds Meghan chaser a direct passage into the Group 1 Gold Bullion Final (520m) on January 30.

However, that win came as no surprise to revered northern NSW trainer Dave Irwin who has overseen the final preparation of Good Odds Cobber.

“The relationship between our two families, Frank’s and mine, goes back decades, back at least to the 1960s,” Irwin said soon after Good Odds Cobber had claimed the $60,000-to-the-winner ‘ticket’ in the final of four match races.

“Frank did his greyhound apprenticeship with legendary trainer Sep Gollan, who was a very good friend of my dad, Jack, and that is how the relationship started.

“I have known Frank for a long, long time.

“Frank sent the dog up to me recently to look after during the carnival and just said, ‘Do what you need to do with him’.

“Of course we still talk often, but he is a great bloke. So easy to deal with.”

Handling the dog on Thursday night was Irwin’s daughters Lisa and Shelley.

Good Odds Cobber jumped well and claimed the early lead in his showdown with Tom Dailly’s Smooth Plane, the $2.20 Golden Ticket favourite.

As Irwin had predicted pre-race, once Good Odds Cobber grabbed the lead, he would not relinquish it, and set the quickest time of the four match races (29.50). Smooth Plane finished just a quarter of a length behind in 29.52.

“Smooth Plane, is a very good dog, very fast, so I knew that our dog definitely had to keep going hard to hold him out,” Irwin said.

“I would have preferred to have drawn the inside instead of box 3, but as it turned out, Smooth Plane didn't begin as well as he normally does, and Good Odds Cobber came out beautifully.

“Right now, Good Odds Cobber is at his best, at the weight Frank wants him (31.90) and in great condition.

“I slipped him over 300m at Grafton in the lead-up to Thursday night and he went a length and a half quicker than he has ever gone.

“He just flew. It was poetry in motion watching him.”

Irwin said Good Odds Cobber would stay with him leading into the January 30 final.

“Frank is very busy with a heap of pups (at his Londonderry, western Sydney, property),” he said.

“Hopefully he can get away for a while and come up for the final.”

There was plenty of drama before and during Thursday night’s Golden Ticket match races.

Firstly, the highly regarded Lakeview Emily (Harley Whelan) was a late scratching when she came on season.

Her opponent, Warm Cockles (David Burnett), went around unopposed in 29.59.

In the opening match race, Million Dollar Chase winner Blue Kermaro suffered a mid-race injury, with Travis Elson’s Danger Zone taking that race in 30.55.

The local highlight was Wreck James (Darren Russell) jumping ahead of WA’s La Sagrada (Krystal Shinners) to claim that clash in a very slick 29.60.

That time was then lowered by Warm Cockles before Good Odds Cobber ‘punched the ticket’.

Earlier, Victorian visitor Black Silencer, who has been sent north to the Tom Tzouvelis kennels, took out the Clem Jones Cup Final (710m) over Irish Millie (Stephen Whyte) and Valpolicella (Tony Zammit).

From the Kerrie and Steven White kennels at Buln Buln, West Gippsland, Black Silencer has an impressive mid-distance to distance form line, including a second placing in the recent Group 1 Sale Cup (640m).

Tzouvelius kennel trainer Jedda Cutlack, who handled Black Silencer on Thursday night, said he would now be set for the Group 1 Gold Cup (710m) - heats January 23, final January 30.

“The dog came into our kennel about 10 days ago in great condition,” she said.

“He settled in really well.

“He is lovely to have in the kennels - an easy-going, affectionate dog and not much fazes him.

“It is also nice to have a stayer back in the kennels, it has been a while.

“It was also good to win this race, because we have a good record with it (winning last year with Scintillate).”

The Golden Ticket may have been the direct path to the Gold Bullion final, however there was no shortage of local contenders outside of that series on Thursday night who showed they were still on track for the Group 1 sprint.

Qld Flame winner Daysea’s Rory (Tom Tzouvelis) proved he is in best-ever form, posting 29.71 in taking out a 4th Grade 520m event.

Just as impressive was More Than Money (Pam Field), who posted a 29.90 in overcoming Warren Nicholls’ Kia Kaha in a Best 8 (520m).

However, the standout of the ‘locals’ was Coffee Blast’s sizzling run of 29.65 in winning a 5th Grade (520m) clash.

The Dave Irwin-trained speedster is returning from a serious stopper bone injury, but indicated with that performance that he is close to being back to his best.

Irwin, although now based at Warragai Creek, near Grafton, has a long and successful career at south-east Queensland tracks.

He said there were ‘decisions to be made’ over the next couple of days around the dog’s availability for next week’s Gold Bullion heats.

“So, now we decide whether to back up and put him with the good ones next week or whether we cuddle him a bit and get his full confidence back,” said Irwin.

“The most important thing is the dog. We will see how he has pulled up and give him a couple of days to get over that run.

“I think the consensus right now is that he will probably go around in the lower grades and get back a bit more confidence.

“It's great to be in those big races, but the dog comes first.

“We have spent six months on him now trying to get him right. There are still plenty of good races coming up to win.”