Miata Thrills The Crowd In The 2012 Association Cup
On a night of champagne racing, star attraction Miata ($1.20) didn't let her legion of followers down, annexing the Group 1 Hotham Body Repairs Association Cup in terrific fashion. Overcoming a bumping duel with leader Shimaguni ($9.00), the star Western Australian rallied to win by 2 ¾ lengths over a fast finishing He's My Future ($13.90) in 41.94.
A large portion of the crowd came to see the Paul Stuart-trained conveyance in full flight and they didn't leave disappointed.
Stuart stated after the Cup he would head back to Perth before embarking on a Melbourne campaign including a first up run at Sandown Park in the Lizrene Classic a best 8 over the distance on May the 3rd. The Lizrene is a lead race to the Sandown Cup on May 10 and 17 the richest distance Group 1 in the country and looks like another big Group 1 at the mercy of Miata.
After the placed runners the field finished in the following order 4th Hot Buzzard ($15.20), 5th Hotwire ($43.70), 6th Thrilling Brat ($11.30), 7th Lavana ($59.40) and Gail Allen ($46.90).
Miata is a Red Fawn bitch whelped October 2009 by Bombastic Shiraz from Winsome Bluebird (Lansley Bale x Winsome Duchess). She raced by Nicole Wheeler-Whye & Paul Stuart and trained by Paul Stuart at Oakford in Western Australia. She has now won 22 races and been placed twice from her 25 starts.
The Association Cup first prize of $75,000 brings her overall prizemoney to $279,895. The final of the Group 3 Centrebet Magic Maiden was a one-act affair with the Chris O'Brien-trained Tifia going through the series undefeated, taking out Saturday's final in 29.86. Scooping the $25,000 winner's cheque, the daughter of Collision staved off the challenge of the Jason Mackay-trained Trident Catch, winning by a length. Mark Gatt left Wentworth Park a happy man, taking out the Group 3 $25,000 to-the-winner ‘The Ambrosoli' with talented sprinter Ritza Ryder. Railing to victory in 29.71, Ritza Ryder defeated Taswegian Rewind by 2 ¼ lengths with Lektra Johnson third another nose away.
The gala night of racing drew the curtain on a marvellous Group 1 Macro Meats Golden Easter Egg Carnival for 2011.
Full credit must go to race sponsor Ray Borda for helping elevate the Golden Easter Egg to the world's richest greyhound event.
The three week series was compiled brilliantly by the NSW GBOTA and GRNSW.