Weather Doesn’t Deter Great Lang Lang Coursing Action
The weather bureau was not wrong when it predicted gale force winds, and heavy rain. In between the heavy showers the sun shone. What would you expect at a coursing meeting? It is a winter sport after all but we didn't let the weather dampen our spirits.
During the day there were many close courses and this is always something that makes for a great spectacle. Ritchie Adderley slipped in fine style as we have come to expect from the Lang Lang Vice President and with a gale forced tail wind the dogs were really covering the length of the track in rapid fashion.
The Sylvester Doyle Puppy Championship was first conducted in 2003, when it took over from the Lang Lang Puppy Championship. It is named in honour of Sylvester Doyle who was inducted into the Hall of Frame last month. Sylvester Doyle was a coursing man and was president of the National Coursing Association of Victoria for 33 years.
This feature event on the coursing calendar was taken out by a young January 2008(19 months) black puppy Pure Macs. Trained by Colin Dalton and owned by C. Caltieri, this is Pure Macs' first soiree into coursing. Taking the Runners Up trophy was Uno Hazard. The Bruce Thomson trained, Kevin Mugavin Jnr owned, black dog made the journey from the Western District town of Garvoc.
The event commenced last Sunday (9th August) with 53 nominations, and course by course we got down to the final pairing. It's great to see the support that coursing has been able to obtain this year and all being well these strong numbers will see good nominations for the Derby & Oaks being contested on the weekend of the 5th & 6th September at Lang Lang.
The second event on the card was the time honoured Gippsland Cup and this was taken out by Kevin & Dorothy Plunkett's Miracle Merc who coursed very well over the two weekends. The Cheryl Divirgilio trained All Or Nothing was runner up. This event saw 31 nominations commence the event last weekend.
Making up the trio of feature events was the Ray Boundy Memorial, now there's a character, if ever there was one. This event too, was clearly sort after by the number of nominations received by GRV, with 25 All Aged Greyhounds nominated. The event was won by Russell McRae's Professor Tom who clearly was in another “class”. Rufus Dufus for Ben Divirgilio took out the runners up trophy. Many of our seasoned campaigners contested this event, so the opposition was of a high class.
With 7 supporting stakes to enhance this meeting, we saw Nicole Stanley from Portland take the winner's purse in two stakes with litter brother and sister, Stylish Return and King's Wizard. Storm Fury for John & Carol Westerlo made it two from two with his win in the One Win Stake and Brett's Brigade also notched up and other win under new trainer, Jason Reddoch. Surprise Eileen didn't “surprise” any one with her win for her trainer, Dave Dawson. Maximus Cool broke his maiden status at his first coursing start, for his trainer Peter Gavin and the Neville King trained Zimran broke through for a maiden win too.
With some really closes courses during to the two week meeting, it is all shaping up for superb and hotly contested Waterloo Cup to be held at Longwood on the 3rd & 4th October. We have seen some great feature, maiden and puppy event winners since our first coursing meeting of this season, way back at the end of May.
As usual the ladies in the Lang Lang canteen served up some delicious morsels and the soup was certainly a winner when the skies opened up. I can thoroughly recommend that the Longwood canteen supplements will also be delicious at next week's meeting. If you've not been to Longwood, you should make the trip up the Hume, it's just 20 minutes past Seymour and the facilities are second to none. This will be the first and last look at the track for your charges before the Waterloo Cup. The business part of the season is rapidly approaching.
Full Results
Event 1 – SYLVESTER DOYLE PUPPY CHAMPIONSHIP
Winner: PURE MACS, a Jan 2008 BK D, breeding: Pure Octane – Felicity's Zoe, Owner: C. Caltieri, Trainer: C.J. Dalton –
Event 2 – GIPPSLAND CUP
Winner: MIRACLE MERV, a January 2007 BKW D, breeding: Elite State X Miracle Star, Owner: Miracle Synd, Trainer: K.J. Plunkett – Mickleham DEFEATED ALL OR NOTHING, a December 2005 BK D, breeding: Whisky Assassin X Ding's Rocket, Owner/Trainer: C.A. Divirgilio – Devon Meadows.
Event 3 – RAY BOUNDY MEMORIAL
Winner: PROFESSOR TOM, a February 2007 BK D, breeding: Elite State X Lady Sinade, Owner: J. Eliza Synd, Trainer: R.D. McRae – Junction Village DEFEATED RUFUS DUFUS, a November 2006 BK D, breeding: Brett Lee X Leprechaun Yap, Owner: B.R. Warke, Trainer: B. Divirgilio – Devon Meadows.
Event 4 – WAVERLEY PARTY HIRE (ALL AGED MIXED)
Winner: BRETT'S BRIGADE, a December 2005 BD D, breeding: Saint Brett X Eberlee, Owner/Trainer: J. Reddoch – Healesville DEFEATED (WITHDRAWN INJURED) PAGANI ZONDA, a December 2006 RF D, breeding: Cool Performance X Iuki's Lady, Owner/Trainer: P.A. Craig – Langwarrin.
Event 5 – BOB STEWARD (AFFORDABLE) 1 WIN STAKE
Winner: STORM FURY, a February 2007 BK D, breeding: November Fury X Royal Saxon, Owner: C. Westerlo, Trainer: J. Westerlo –
Event 6 – LARMAX BITCH PUPPY
Winner: STYLISH RETURN, an April 2007 BK B, breeding: Return The King X Dr Daisy, Owner: Champagne Synd, Trainer: N.A. Stanley – Portland DEFEATED ARBIE BARBIE, an April 2007 BE B, breeding: Where's Pedro X Sleek Physique, Owner: J. Jack Synd, Trainer: L. H. Kraemer – Cranbourne South.
Event 7 – LANG LANG BUTCHERS BITCH MAIDEN
Winner: SURPRISE EILEEN, a December 2006 WBK B, breeding: Elite State X Gunnar Suprise, Owner: E. Eastley, Trainer: D.H. Dawson – Crossover DEFEATED PETITE LOUSON, a May 2006 BK B, breeding: Exceptional X Lady Louson, Owner/Trainer: P. Ellul – Noble Park North.
Event 8 – VEOLIA WASTE DOG PUPPY
Winner: KING'S WIZARD, an April 2007 FD, breeding: Return The King X Dr Daisy, Owner: Champagne Synd, Trainer: N.A. Stanley – Portland DEFEATED PHANTON BRAVE, an August 2007 BK D, breeding: Diffuser X Smooth Snoozer, Owner/Trainer: N.S. Kelly – Warragul.
Event 9 – LANG LANG COMMUNITY DOG MAIDEN
Winner: MAXIMUS COOL, a December 2006 WF D, breeding Big Daddy Cool X Miss Forrester, Owner/Trainer P.F. Gavin – Werribee DEFEATED MIRACLE TURBO, a January 2007 WBK D, breeding: Elite State X Miracle Star, Owner: Miracle Synd, Trainer: K.J. Plunkett – Mickleham.
Event 10 – IDEAL CARPORTS & VERANDAHS MAIDEN DOG
Winner: ZIMRAN, a December 2005 DKBD D, breeding Where's Pedro X Hazzafuture, Owner: Pizazz Park Synd, Trainer: N. King – Pearcedale DEFEATED VERTEX, an October 2005 BK D, breeding: Spiral Nikita X Leprechaun Yap, Owner: J. Van Echteld, Trainer: L.H. Kraemer – Cranbourne South.