Irinka Jarryd A Devonport Track Specialist
Following his win in the WHK Accounting Grade 3 (452 metres) conducted at the NWGRC meeting on Tuesday afternoon, smart chaser Irinka Jarryd (Irinka Dennis – Sussudio) is unbeaten at the Devonport Raceway.
Raced by Helen Pringle of Zeehan and prepared at Burnie by Wayne Maine, he has now won at his only four starts at the venue and has won eight of 12 outings in Tasmania since being purchased from New South Wales.
On Tuesday afternoon Irinka Jarryd stalked the race leader Din's Echo (Hallucinate – Din's Portrait) into the straight, but then railed through to score impressively as a well supported $1.90 commodity.
He recorded the smart time of 25.88 in winning the event, as opposed to his best venue time for the journey of 25.56 established last month.
Wayne Maine is enjoying the most successful run of his career, having won 17 races in the last three months.
“I worked underground with Joe Pringle on the West Coast and we became quite good friends,” he revealed this week.
“When he and his wife asked if I would prepare their greyhounds for them I was rapt because they have some very well bred stock and make a good job of rearing them.”
Meanwhile the feature event on Tuesday's NWGRC programme, the WHK Christmas Gift Final (452 metres) was won by the Leigh Wood owned and prepared Ukulele Lad (Baywatch Boy – Touch And Go).
Defying a tricky box draw, the speedy chaser flew the lids and was never headed, recording a slick 25.83 and paying a dividend of $2.30.
The lightly raced Ukulele Lad has proven to be a good money-spinner for Wood, having won four of his eight lifetime outings and filling a place on the remaining four occasions, for a purse of in excess of $6,500.
“When I started training him he looked as if he was going to be a slow starter, but he has matured a great deal and now begins brilliantly,” the trainer explained after the race.
“After he won the fastest heat of the Christmas Gift last week I was confident he could win the final and that is how it has worked out.”
The Whitemore based Wood has now won the event on three occasions and will set Ukulele Lad for the rich Devonport Cup to be conducted in the New Year.
“I believe is good enough to warrant a start in the Devonport Cup,” he revealed.
Carrick trainer Les Barker provided the surprise of the NWGRC meeting when his bitch Topline Dee (Hallucinate – Kyra Shiraz) ran her rivals ragged in the whk.com.au Grade 4 (452 metres).
The bitch led throughout to score a hollow victory in the time of 26.07 and paying the handsome dividend of $19.
She has now won five of 21 lifetime outings while accumulating a purse of almost $8,000 for connections Messrs. Stamford and Mills.