CHARMER LODGE FEATURE NEWS - DECEMBER 2007

Bartrim Continues Hot Streak WHILE his record breaking 25.92 win at Bulli on December 19 was stunning, Bartrim Bale's (Hallucinate x Gold Rush Bale) effort to register a slick 26.31 in the third heat of tonight's Rooty Hill RSL Gold Plate at Bulli was no less impressive. With a vacant box on his outside, a moderate start from box one was not punished and the son of Hallucinate, after 100m, set off after the speedy Spring Smile. On the circle, Bartrim Bale powered clear and with every stride lengthened his break to eventually score by a clear 7-3/4 lengths. Spring Smile, though outclassed, safely held second some three lengths to the good of Vickerman Bale. All night, times were well `off the pace' and Bartrim Bale's effort was easily the fastest of the night over 472m. The opening Gold Plate heat went to the talented Mountain Of Love in 26.55. A member of the strong Matic kennel, Mountain Of Love - like Bartrim Bale - trailed the lead early but peeled to the outside as My Awesome Boy headed for home and came clear to scored by 1-3/4 lengths. Front Index made ground late to finish third, a mere half head in front of Commandant. My Awesome Boy's kennelmate Awesome Hustler - the Goulburn 457m record holder - started a short priced favourite in heat two and won a mixing affair in 26.61. At the first turn, Catmandoo (box three), Majestic Puzzle (four) and Awesome Hustler were vying for the lead but it was Awesome Hustler which gained the ascendancy. Catmandoo and Majestic Puzzle when checked and put out of play. Awesome Hustler gained a winning break and safely held Mahogany Blaze to score by 1-1/2 lengths. Tucklan Rebel was the same margin away in third place. The three winners and runners-up gained an immediate berth into next Wednesday's $15,000 to the winner final while, on calculated times, Front Index and Tucklan Rebel also qualified. The box draw is: 1 Mahogany Blaze, 2 Spring Smile, 3 My Awesome Boy, 4 Tucklan Rebel, 5 Front Index, 6 Bartrim Bale, 7 Awesome Hustler, 8 Mountain Of Love. Vickerman Bale and Raw Talent are the reserves. Bartrim Bale will start a short priced favourite yet, despite his commanding form since joining the Brendan Wheeler team, this is no lay down misere. Mountain Of Love is going as well as ever and is ideally drawn while Awesome Hustler boasts 10 wins from just 16 starts at the track and will get every chance.

BULLI RECORD NO SURPRISE IT came as no surprise to owner-breeder Paul Wheeler when Bartrim Bale (Hallucinate x Gold Rush Bale), a relatively inexperienced racer, was able to slice .02sec of Winsome Lesson's 19 month old 472m track record at Bulli last Wednesday night. Now being trained at The Oaks by Paul's son Brendan, Bartrim Bale will now tackle the Rooty Hill RSL Gold Plate heats on Boxing Night. Paul Wheeler said this week: ``When George and Tom Dailly had Bartrim Bale they had a huge opinion of him. ``Even as a maiden he was being talked about as a Melbourne Cup proposition. ``But on a trip to Adelaide to contest the SA Derby series Bartrim Bale was knocked about on the first turn and wound up with a cracked bone in his shoulder. ``I suggested he come back to NSW for a spell and Brendan has taken him along slowly, he has been very patient with him. ``After he won for him at Appin he headed for Bulli to give the dog experience there before the Gold Plate heats. ``Bartrim Bale will stay with Brendan for the time being but may return to the Daillys later.'' JEFF COLLERSON

JIM'S MATE A DERBY HOPEFUL TRAINER Owen Langley has such a big opinion of Wednesday night's Bulli winner Jim's Mate (Hallucinate x Classic Deb) he is setting the dog for the Triple Crown Lodge National Derby at Wentworth Park. That's a far cry from a fifth grade at Bulli, where Jim's Mate recorded his first TAB win in only his third race. But the dog, after a moderate start, swept to an early lead and covered the 472m in a brilliant 26.54sec. Significantly, Langley believes Jim's Mate could be ``as good as Over Flo.'' That dog, now at stud, was trained throughout his career by Langley, and was successful in the group two Peter Mosman Classic and Bob Payne Winter Stake finals, winning 13 of his 26 Wentworth Park starts. ``I had such a good opinion of this pup that I entered him for the Rapidvite Potential Stakes heats at Wenty on December 1,'' Owen told me. ``But he suffered a minor injury so I decided not to risk him and get him ready for the Derby heats on January 26. ``Before his Bulli race Jim's Mate trialled sensationally over 400m there but I entered him for a 472m event because I have to begin building up his stamina to have him ready for the 520m at Wentworth Park.'' JEFF COLLERSON

DISORDERLY NOT FOR SALE Courtesy GRAQ website 21 Dec, 2007. HIGHLY promising youngster Disorderly is not for sale at any price according to owner Kevin Martin. He said this after the son of Whisky Assassin-Must Command scored in 30.17 in a 520m 4th-5th Grade at Albion Park on Thursday night. He scored by two and three-quarter lengths over Cayman Bale with five lengths to Berella Diva in third. Hot favourite Made To Size, resuming after a long break, was never out of early trouble and finished well back. “I’ve been getting offers for this dog from before he raced,” said Kevin. “They’ve got up to $40,000 lately but he’s not for sale. I’m in this game for fun and he’s going to give Neil (trainer Neil Falls) and I a lot of fun.” Disorderly was making his race debut at Albion Park on Thursday night. He had no luck when third to Eluthra in the recent Potential Stakes at Wentworth Park. Martin got Disorderly and three other pups after an eight-month working stint with the Mathew Reid kennel at Old Bonalbo. Another of the four is hot youngster Let Go runner-up in the recent Pop Northfield Maiden final at Casino. Immediate plans for Disorderly include the Young Guns series at the Gold Coast and then the Group 1 National Derby at Wentworth Park in February. Kevin Martin is no stranger to owning quality greyhounds. He raced former star galloper Hickari from the Dennis Reid kennel two decades ago. Martin was full of praise for trainer Neil Falls. “I have the greatest respect for Neil and he is a young trainer on the up,” said Kev. “He is a great one with young dogs as well.” Martin and Falls agreed that with a wide draw Disorderly could have broken 30 seconds on Thursday night. “He had his first look at the track Friday night and ran 30.20,” said Kev. “But he does dwell a bit out of the boxes and needs four clear strides to reach his top. From a wide draw he is ideally suited.” Disorderly has now won six of his nine starts. “He’s young and inexperienced,” said Falls. “There is plenty of improvement in him.” Martin is confident Disorderly will develop into a top class stayer of the future.

Gun Hand Sets Potential Standard Courtesy GRNSW website NORTHERN Rivers sprinter Disorderly (Whisky Assassin x Must Command) kicked off tonight's heats of the Group 3 Potential Stakes at Wentworth Park with an ultra impressive debut win at the famous Ultimo circuit. In two previous starts at the track, Disorderly had been only moderately away but, this time, from box four, he trailed only Time Keeper and Dainty Habit at the 720m boxes. Mid-race, he surged to the lead and powered away to score by a massive eight lengths in 30.26. Race favourite Finlandia was having her first start at the track and, after a slow start from box eight, showed no speed at all and was some five lengths behind the second last dog at the post the first time. She held the inside running to sneak into third place in the middle stages but could do no better and was 1-1/4 lengths in arrears of runner-up Dainty Habit on the line. In the second heat, Merleen showed all her natural speed to lead from box two and, despite being pressed by Uno Hand with 150m to run, came away to score by 4-1/4 lengths in 30.30. Ravenstoke nailed Uno Hand on the line to finish second by a mere nose. Sadly, the well-supported Be Cool Fool was checked at the first turn and failed to finish. A subsequent veterinary examination found he had fractured his off side hock. The betting in heat three was stifled by the unbeaten True Fantasy (box seven) and Gun Hand (box six). Punters had good reason to respect both but the contest proved to be a one act affair. Gun Hand rocketed out of the six alley and, in a twinkling established a clear lead and was never troubled on the way to a five lengths win in a series best 30.11. True Fantasy has shown genuine speed in each of his previous five starts but was slow to begin this time and badly checked at the first turn. Gun Hand's nearest pursuer was Sneaky Assassin while Eluthra was third, a further 1-1/4 lengths in arrears.

Trip And Fall Snares Peppercorn Final - Group 3 TRIP AND FALL has taken out the rich Peppercorn Stud Maiden Final at The Gardens in an incident packed affair. Twelve months early, Miss Elly Mint upset the more fancied Mandagery Man in the $15,000 to the winner final and, this time, favourite Kumar Bale was desperately unlucky. A son of American super sire Kiowa Sweet Trey, Kumar Bale was slow to begin from box five while kennelmate Hightone Bale made no mistake at the start and led the field to the back straight. The well supported Trip And Fall was also slow to begin but, from box two, secured a run through the field to be second before the home turn. He railed underneath Hightone Bale then withheld the Kumar Bale late surge to score by a head in 30.15. Kumar Bale continually checked off the heels of rivals in the latter stages and would have won in another bound. Trip And Fall - a son of Hallucinate - had been soundly beaten by Midnight Spirit in his heat yet punters snapped up the 12/1 on offer early in betting and he firmed to start at 6/1. The Peppercorn series introduced punters to the likes of Bit Chili, Spiral Magic, Mandagery Man, Orphan Point etc last year and quality city class performers will emerge once again. Trip And Fall took the honours on this occasion but Kumar Bale might have the last laugh. He is the real deal.

Courtesy GRAQ website EVIL IMPACT AT LISMORE 5 Dec, 2007. HANIFY'S Impact and Evil Adams ran quickest of 16 qualifying heats for the Future Stars Series at Lismore on Wednesday night. They both ran 24.23 in winning their 420m heat of the Renzo Park-sponsored event. Hanify's Impact is by Collision-Miss Hanify and trained by Andrew Graham on the Northern Rivers. She scored in heat five of the 16 heats. Barry Morris produced Evil Adams (Hallucinate-She's Adams) to win heat 13 and that bitch's run was impressive considering the rain that fell during the trials. Other heat winners were: Cawbourne King 24.69 Bargero 24.46 Dark Silhouette 24.50 King Phantom 24.37 Fairy Topia 24.48 Serious Dreams 24.80 Perfect Phantom 24.63 Striking Force 24.27 Nimbastic 24.44 Rough Robbie 24.45 So Proud 25.15 Watch The Jet 24.81 Future Fund 24.82 Free Knight 24.44 Champion Bogie Leigh's first pups to race, Bogie Ace (by Black Enforcer), finished second to Striking Force. First and second in each heat goes into four semi-finals at Lismore next Tuesday night.