Leading Southern Trainers On Fire
Leading trainers Ted Medhurst and Mick Stringer, neighbours in Ballyhooly Road at Mangalore in Southern Tasmania, have dominated proceedings in Tasmania this week.
Medhurst set the ball rolling at the Tote Racing Centre on Monday night when the exceptional bitch Baretta Bee (Collision – Baretta Betty) came with a barnstorming finish to take out the Furniture City Ladies Bracelet Final (515 metres).
Baretta Bee settled back in the field from the black box, but put paid to her opposition in sensational fashion to score in in the time of 29.88.
Raced by New South Wales veterinarian Tom Astbury, the bitch has now won four of seven Tasmanian outings while taking stakes of in excess of $6,000 and is being touted as an Invitation Class chaser of the future.
Baretta Bee will contest the Derwent Valley Link Grade 5 (461 metres) at tonight's (Thursday) HGRC meeting at Tattersalls Park and is being quoted at short odds about continuing on her winning way.
Stringer was seen in the winners circle at Tuesday's NWGRC meeting conducted at the Devonport Raceway when highly promising chaser New Recruit (Paddy's Flame – Miss Bardie) was successful in the $5,800 Betfair Puppy Championship Final (452 metres).
Drawn favourably in the red box, New Recruit accelerated through to hold out his rivals early in the event and then fought back doggedly in the lane to defy a strong challenge from the David Crosswell prepared Pendle Beri (Mandagery Man – Mohar) in the time of 26.06, on a day not conducive to fast sections.
New Recruit is raced by Karleen Cuthbertson and Sallyanne Wilson and is the winner of two of his only three starts while accumulating a purse of in excess of $5,000.
Speedy bitch How Many Times (Surf Lorian – Crystal Siyan) made it five wins in succession at the NWGRC meeting when she led throughout to take out the Dowling McCarthy Tyres Invitation (452 metres) in a best of the meeting time of 25.93.
The very consistent bitch is prepared at Invermay by Eileen Thomas and has now won 13 races and been placed on 22 occasions in 47 trips to the races while taking stakes of in excess of $20,000.
Thomas was also seen in the winners circle the previous night at the Tote Racing Centre when the bitch Western Ruby (Lilli Pilli Lad – Sylvia's Choice) was successful in the Rocky Ridge Farm Grade 4 (515 metres).
The bitch has now won three races for the Ulverstone based Western Blue Syndicate comprising West Ulverstone football buddies Lewis McCulloch, Mick Johnson, Wayne Gillam and Paul Emmerton.
Former harness racing trainer-driver Brendan Pursell also experienced success at the NWGRC meeting with the smart chaser Cash Lyrics (Cash Express – Casual Lyrics), which took out the Sky Racing Grade 5 (452 metres).
Pursell retired from the harness racing industry a couple of seasons ago to concentrate on business interests but decided to prepare a greyhound in his spare time as a means of relaxation.
Cash Lyrics ran second at his first three Tasmanian appearances, but has now won on two occasions and is proving to be a worthwhile investment.