Rail Raider’s 2009 Group 2 Ipswich Auction Final
Rail Raider ($23.80) equalled the race record of 30.72 when leading throughout to win the 2009 Group 2 Ipswich Auction final (520m).
The grandson of legendary bitch Flying Amy, scored by four and three-quarter lengths over Black Narcissus ($30.10) with a head to Santino Marella ($2.50 fav) flashing up late for third.
Rail Raider is raced in partnership by Darryl O'Brien and Eric Tedford. Eric and his close friend Merv Laffey bred Hall of Famer Flying Amy and Eric's wife Phyllis raced her in partnership with Mavis Ball. Gary Moore trains Rail Raider (Craigie Whistler-Zippy Xena).
It was his 12th victory and O'Brien admitted he and trainer Moore were supremely confident of success in the $35,000 to the winner final. Rail Raider started at $23.
“Bad boxes all through the series,” said Moore of Rail Raider's third placings in heat and semi-final of the series.
“He needs an inside box and that's what we got tonight. We fancied our chances of heading the two drawn inside him and we only had to hope he would be strong enough.”
He was just that equalling Fools State's race record.
Moore did nothing with his dog all week in the lead-up to the final. “I've just walked him and let him lay on his bed. We wanted him fresh and that's how he was,” said Moore.
Black Narcissus was a huge run to get second while Santino Marella showed what an outstanding galloper he is by coming from last to get third.
Immediate plans for the winner are to press on to the Group 2 Ipswich Gold Cup in two weeks time.
After the placed runners the field finished in the following order 4th Premier Chief ($13.50), 5th Blue Storm Miss ($3.60), 6th Surfin' Silence ($7.30), 7th Gnarraloo ($10.30) and Pop Top ($8.70).
Rail Raider is a April 2007 Red Brindle dog by Craigie Whistler from Zippy Zena (Bobniack x Flying Amy). He is raced by Darryl O'Brien and Eric Tedford and trained by Gary Moore at Toowoomba. Rail Raider has now raced on 31 occasions for 12 wins and seven placings and the $35,000 first prize for the Auction Series took his overall stake earnings to $48,140.
It was the 21st staging of the Auction Series for the Ipswich Club and another successful one, the race has consistently uncovered talented pups that are given the opportunity to race for big prizemoney at the start of their race careers.
The Ipswich Auction Series has had a number of different sponsors since it commended in 1989 it was called the Sci-Fleet Ford Auction series for three years, then from 1992 until 1994 it was the Celcast Auction Series.
In 1995 for one year it was the Roofshield Auction Series and then the race was taken over by the Rob Lowe Car Company from 1997 until 2001 when the current sponsor Highland Smash Repairs became the sponsor. Listed below is the full honour roll of the past winners.
Ipswich Auction Honour Roll
- 1989 Milluna Miss
- 1990 Our Gold Coin
- 1991 Slick Myth
- 1992 Impulsive Gamble
- 1993 Marry Me Mary
- 1994 Perro Star
- 1995 Pride Of Stef
- 1996 Nobody's Fool
- 1997 Blazing Honour
- 1998 Travel Train
- 1999 Hypnotic Trans
- 2000 Stylish Bandit
- 2001 Pacific Flash
- 2002 Happy Chappy
- 2003 Awesome Design
- 2004 Fool's State
- 2005 Don Paco
- 2006 Rylee's Revenge
- 2007 Go Makatam
- 2008 Elise Odette
- 2009 Rail Raider