CHARMER LODGE FEATURE NEWS - AUGUST 2007

Courtesy GRAQ website: BOB’S ON A HI 9 August, 2007. MONEY can’t buy Highland Hi. That’s the opinion of veteran trainer Bob Thompson who bred the son of Hallucinate-My Girl Zani who landed a 520m 5th Grade at Albion Park on Thursday night. Bob trains the dog for his wife Ruth. “We had a very substantial offer for the dog some months ago, and I mean a very substantial offer,” said Bob the 78-year-old veteran Lismore trainer who has been a great dog man for many years. “He’s the best dog we have bred, but he is also a family dog and we had a family meeting when we got the offer and discussed the offer. “Not one of the family wanted to sell.” Highland Hi scored by a length and a quarter in 30.49 beating Four Way Style with two lengths to Mumstop Stanley in third. It was his eighth win in 16 race starts. “We love this dog so much,” said Bob. Highland Hi was sent to Sydney trainer Don McMillan for a short campaign earlier in the year but the Thompson family so missed their dog they got him home recently. “He’s had a few problems since we got him home mainly cramping in his races, but he’s coming good,” said Bob. Highland Hi will back up in a fifth grade final at Albion Park on Monday night. “He’s already won a fifth grade at Wentworth Park, and now won two here, so to win the final on Monday night and make it four fifth grades on city tracks will be a feat,” said Bob. Thompson wants to go through the grades with Highland Hi at Albion Park and believes with the warmer weather and more racing his dog will make a high class 600m galloper. He also wants to take it easy. “I’m 78 and my son Trevor has just moved back from Victoria and he is so enthusiastic about the dogs,” said Bob. “From now on I’ll be able to let Trevor doing the travelling and I can sit back and watch them at home on TV.”

CHARMER LODGE FEATURE NEWS - AUGUST 2007

CHUCK IS GIRL’S KEY 30 August, 2007. THE performance of Queensland’s National Sprint finalist Buckingham Chuck in Thursday night’s Group 1 race has given Witheren’s Girl’s connections a lead in the bitch’s future plans. Witheren’s Girl (Placard-Berella Shantal) led throughout to win a Best 8 (520m) at Albion Park on Thursday night for owner Bill Crooks and trainer Ron Ball. She won by three-quarters of a length in 30.27 over Gunnadoo Saint with a length and three-quarters to Jaymess in third. Witheren’s Girl and Buckingham Chuck have met three times with the bitch holding the honours at two to one, both times running him down near the line in top grade races at headquarters. “We are looking at taking Witheren’s Girl to Victoria for a run in a Melbourne Cup Prelude,” said Ball. “We think she is worth it and her form warrants it.” The Melbourne Cup will be run late in the year and those greyhounds who are not exempt must start in a Prelude to qualify for the heats of the Cup. Witheren’s Girl took her record to 15 wins and 17 placings from 50 starts for her connections. Ten of those wins have come at Albion Park. “She is a very consistent bitch and a worthy top grader,” said Ball. “She just needs a few metres clear run out of the boxes.” The bitch was one of two pups bought for $2500 each from breeder Laureene Renner. “We stole them,” said Ball. “Laureene is a great breeder of greyhounds with a great damline that keeps producing quality stock.” Crooks is already planning Witheren’s Girl’s career as a broodbitch. “We have a straw of Token Prince, but she could also go to Shiokaze,” said Ball. The latter is the triple track record breaker trained by Ball. He has just gone to stud after a brilliant but injury-plagued race career.

Miagi Has One Big Motor Courtesy GRNSW Website MIAGI, (Hallucinate x Deloris) virtually torn apart by a stray dog less than three months ago, completed an amazing comeback with a runaway win over 520m at Wentworth Park on Saturday night. Trained by Warren Harper for friends Mark Sheppeard and former Western Suburbs rugby league winger Darren Willis, Miagi came from sixth at the catching pen to win by five lengths in a slick 30.31sec. ``When they went through the pen I gave him no hope,'' Harper said later. ``But when Miagi got into fourth spot leaving the back straight I thought that if he kept out of trouble he might peg them back. ``I'm rapt because Miagi was having his first run for a fortnight after being slightly injured in a trial.'' Despite Miagi's sensational effort, which was the talk of Wentworth Park, the dog's future is in longer races. ``I'm aiming him for the 720 metre Sydney Cup heats at Wenty on September 29,'' Harper said. ``In the meantime I'll probably nominate him for a 565m race at Maitland on Thursday. ``Maybe he will break his own track record there.'' JEFF COLLERSON

Miagi Has Cup At His Mercy Since it’s inception in 1980, the Chariman’s Cup has unearthed some talented stayers. Sarah Bale, Swazi Flash and Miss Cruise are just three quality stayers which ‘found their staying legs’ in Cup heats. Tonight at Wentworth Park, Maitland 565m record holder Miagi stared down National Distance Champion Flashing Floods in the third of three Cup heats and scored handsomely in a fast 42.51 secs. After wresting the lead from Flashing Floods mid-race, he got away to score by 4-3/4 lengths from the Victorian star. She safely held minor placegetter Jessica Nimbus for the Quinella position by another 3-1/2 panels. Jessica Nimbus had been a conspicuous last in the early stages and her final 200m section must have been remarkable. Earlier, Lalie secured the opening heat by a nose from a disappointing Red Dusk in a slow 43.33. Lalie led early on but Red Dusk found the rails mid-race to lead but seemed reluctant to forge clear. Before the home turn, the pair were locked in a pitched battle and Lalie prevailed in a deceptive finish. While the busting action was going on, Lyn’s Daisy, the $2.10 favourite, was making steady ground. The post came all too quickly for Lyn’s Daisy, however, and was a half length away in third place. The well performed Kibble Kruncha then overcame difficulties in a mixing affair to win the second heat by a nose from I Love Lucy while Victorian Kippy Kya – a placegetter in the National Distance final was another nose away in a steady 43.12. Miagi then eased the judge’s workload in no uncertain manner. The outing was only his second at the 720m trip and, after his racing career was threatened by a savage attack of a cattle dog in May, he is ready to fulfil his potential as the most exciting staying prospect in the land. The son of Hallucinate, which, like his sire, spent his youth at Clergate in the care of Martin and Fiona Hallinan, has now won seven of 16 starts and the strike rate looks set to improve. This Group 3 Cup is within grasp and the Sydney Cup at Wentworth Park follows later this month. Thereafter, the Sir John Dillon Memorial at Sandown and the Hume Cup – both at Group 2 level – appear on the calendar. Barring injury or another dalliance with a stray, Miagi will be the stayer by which others are measured for the remainder of 2007.