Locals back in the Golden Greys Group 1 glory hunt

By Pat McLeod

Interstate dogs will dominate next week’s gala Group 1 night of the Golden Greys Summer Carnival at Albion Park, but there has been a late charge by two prominent locals.

Hall Of Famer Tony Zammit and trainer-of-the-moment Tom Tzouvelis both planted their claims during Thursday night’s busy heats schedule at ‘The Creek’.

Firstly, Zammit’s distance queen Valpolicella raced back to near her best taking out one of the three heats of the Garrard’s Horse And Hound Gold Cup (710m), one of the features she won last year.

Then in the third of four heats of Garrard’s Horse And Hound Gold Bullion (520m), Queensland’s Phoenix representative Daysea’s Rory halted the visitor’s run taking out his heat in a slick 29.58.

“You love to see the locals do well in their own feature races,” said Tzouvelis, who will also have the collar and lead on visiting finalists Deadly Avenger in the sprint and Black Silencer in the distance final.

“We will be waving the Queensland flag whether it is with the Victorian dog or a Queensland dog.”

The only other Queensland flavour across the two main features next week is Warren Nicholls’ Jeremiah Fire, who placed third on Thursday night in the distance heats to Black Silencer.

Whether they are his own or visiting dogs, Tzouvelis has again emerged as a major Group 1 race threat.

Deadly Avenger, from the Victorian Kennel of George Borg, set the tone for the sprinters on Thursday night in the opening heat, claiming a five and a half length win over defending race champion Morton (Jason Sharp) in a cracking 29.46.

“I knew Deadly Avenger was a good dog, but I had not followed his career closely,” said Tzouvelis.

“But it hasn’t taken me long to realise he is the real deal, a very good dog.

“His run tonight in he heats shows just how strong he is.

“I was also very happy with (Daysea’s) Rory. I had my heart in my mouth at the first corner with him coming out of the seven.

“However, he went to another gear down the back and finished on very well.

“You can never be confident in a race like this and we are just glad that we have two representatives (in the sprint final) and just hope that one of them can get up.

“You just hope that you are good enough on the day, but you can't be confident.

“Now, it is just all about the recovery, making sure they are in the best possible condition next Thursday night.”

The other two sprint heat winners, Victorians Mepunga Tully (Jeff Britton) and Vincent Bale (Samantha Grenfell), were both on ‘hit and run’ missions.

They flew up and back for the heats and will do the same for the final.

“He is a terrific dog who is just working it out now. He has race sense now where he didn't have it 20 starts ago,” said Corey Grenfell after Vincent Bale’s three-and-a-quarter length win over Greg Stella’s Magistrate in 29.65.

“I was very happy considering that was his first look at the track.”

Angela Langton was just as happy with Mepunga Tully’s one-and-a-quarter length heat win in 29.55 over Spirit Boy (Craig Gardoll)

“She's very smart, especially if she gets a bit of a clear run early. She has got a lot of speed and she is strong,” Langton said of Mepunga Tully.

“She is a very hard chaser and just a lovely dog.

“But it is a really hot field next week, there are a lot of fast dogs.”

Casting a giant shadow over the sprint final is one dog who did not figure in Thursday night’s heats.

Golden Ticket winner Good Odds Cobber ‘flew’ around Albion Park in a post-to-post before the heats, recording a 23.74, one of the quickest ‘laps’ ever run at ‘The Creek’.

The Frank Hurst-trained champion has been in the care of northern NSW veteran conditioner Dave Irwin during this campaign.

The box draw for the next Thursday night’s Group 1 Garrard’s Horse And Hound Gold Bullion (520m) Final: 1. Good Odds Cobber; 2. Spirit Boy; 3. Vincent Bale; 4. Deadly Avenger; 5. Mepunga Tully; 6.  Daysea's Rory; 7. Morton; 8. Warm Cockles. Reserves: 9. Magistrate; 10. Newton Hayze

Meanwhile, even master trainer Tony Zammit was a little surprised at the resurgence of his veteran distance queen Valpolicella in her heat win.

“Just when you think she is ready to retire she finds another leg,” he said post-heat.

“She did a really, really good job tonight. She jumped well and despite getting a slight check,  was able to drop right onto the fence and be close enough.

“It was good seeing her not too far back. Lately she has had four or five dogs in front of her and because she is railing more now, she is getting on the back of dogs.

“You know that she's not going to do anything early, she will do all her best work late in the race.

“She won this race last year and tonight is as good as she has gone for a while.

“There are some very, very good dogs in this final so it will be very interesting. I just hope she gives herself the best chance.”

Recent Bold Trease winner Ethanol Water (Tom Dailly) etched the fastest heat win (41.57) in her consummate win over fellow Victorian, Jeff Britton’s Pass Mark.

South-east Qld trainer Greg Brennan, who has cared for the class group performer during her short trips north during this carnival said he only had very positive reports for Dailly.

“I'll just be saying to Tom that she went lovely, settled in nice again. Her weight was right and she jumped straight to the front,” he said.

“Tonight was a very professional effort. I had no doubt she could sustain the pace that she did for the entire race because she is very fit and very strong.

“The process next week will be exactly the same as far as travel is concerned and she will come up on the Wednesday.

“She will be a big threat next week.”

Tzouvelis was similarly upbeat around Black Silencer’s Gold Cup chances following his heat win.

“I think he was a bit flat from the run the previous week, so I was a little bit worried about him this week,” he said of Black Silencer, who was sent north from Victorian Kerrie White’s kennel.

“He had a gut buster in hot conditions last week (in winning the Clem Jones Cup over 710m at Albion Park).

“Although that was a nice race to win, it wasn’t the main target.

“Tonight he got trapped on the first corner, but then showed that he doesn’t have to lead to win.”

The box draw for next Thursday night’s Group 1 Garrard’s Horse And Hound Gold Cup (710m) Final: 1. Irish Millie; 2. Jeremiah Fire; 3. Ethanol Water; 4. Late Night News; 5. Valpolicella; 6. Black Silencer; 7. Pass Mark; 8. Groovebird. Reserves: 9. Ace's Chance; 10. Akela Ninjutsu.