Maine’s Christmas Comes Early
Burnie trainer Wayne Maine enjoyed a great start to the festive season by winning races at both the LGRC meeting at the Tote Racing Centre on Monday night and then Tuesday's NWGRC meeting conducted at the Devonport Raceway.
On both occasions the chasers involved were owned by Zeehan's Helen Pringle and were whelped and reared in the West Coast mining town. On Monday night Helen's bitch From The West (Bit Chili and Cool Breeze), recorded her initial victory in the Neutradex Juvenile (515 metres) when having her fifth start in a race, and in doing so became the first of her particular litter to enter the winners circle.
On Tuesday afternoon Bendigo Scott (Collision and Irinka Maddison), also the first of his litter to win a race, was successful in the Tasfreight Juvenile (452 metres) at Devonport, making it two wins in succession after winning at Hobart in his previous start. The chaser was also having his fifth start in a race and to date has recorded two wins and two placings, with a juvenile in Launceston his next mission.
“Both litters broke in nicely and showed considerable promise, but as is often the case, they are taking time to find their racing legs and at this stage of proceedings are invariably tardy from the boxes,” Maine explained.
“With further racing experience I am sure that they will develop into handy chasers, capable of well and truly paying their way.”
The trainer has enjoyed great success in recent years with greyhounds owned by Helen Pringle, who in partnership with her former union boss husband Joe, are proprietors of Zeehan's supermarket.
Meanwhile Brighton trainer Brendan Pursell, a harness racing convert, was quick to get runs on the board at Tuesday's NWGRC meeting, winning two of the first three races on a ten event card. Pursell, who applied some early polish to Bold Trease winner Cheetah Zorro, took out the Advocate Grade 4/5 (580 metres) with Happy Tiger (Mogambo and Jacinta Bale) and then followed up by winning the Betta Milk Juvenile (452 metres) with the well related bitch Alonnah (Talk's Cheap and Wooreddy).
Raced by the Wolf Racing Syndicate, Happy Tiger made it three wins in succession and has now won 16 of 43 lifetime outings and stakes of in excess of $27,000.
Alonnah, a member of the litter which includes the good winners Barnes Bay, Daniel's Bay, Great Taylors, Kirkby Lodge, Murrayfield and Sandy's Pick, is raced by the Island Syndicate headed by prominent breeder and bookmaker Barry Heawood. The bitch has now won four of six lifetime outings and is sure to be seen in the winner's circle many more times in the future.
Smart bitch Stylish Abbey (High Earner – Stylish Moon) landed some nice wagers when she won the Damek At Stud Grade 4 (452 metres) at the NWGRC meeting. Originally an emergency, the Robin Grubb prepared bitch gained a start from the black box and proved too good for the opposition, after firming from long odds into a starting quote of $9.50. Stylish Abbey is a member of the litter which includes the very smart chasers Hi Bella, Kiss Me Elvis, Pipstar, Quick Advance, Roxy Rhythm and Sing The Song. She has now won eight of 39 lifetime outings while accumulating a purse of in excess of $17,000.