CHARMER LODGE FEATURE NEWS - JANUARY 2006

HISTORY UNFOLDED EARNS TILT AT FUTURITY (Courtesy of the GRA NSW website)

HISTORY Unfolded, bought for a healthy five figure sum after winning a maiden at Lithgow, is Schweppes National Futurity bound after scoring her fifth win in seven starts at Wentworth Park on Saturday night. The daughter of History Lesson and On This Fold came from last to run down tearaway leader Lady Chase in 30.33sec, fastest time of the night. After the race trainer Dave Righetti said: "History Unfolded is one of the hardest chasers I've prepared. "Her only flaw is she can't get out of a box. "But she is a good railer, is as strong as a lion, and has a stack of ability. "She was bred by the Miller family at Mullion Creek, near Orange, and had her first couple of starts for them. "After she won her maiden at Lithgow there were quite a few Sydney people chasing her but thankfully we got her. "Bruno Sita, who has had dogs with me previously, and a friend of mine who lives in Fiji, and hasn't yet seen her race, are the owners.'' Jeff Collerson -Monday, 23 January 2006

BUDDY RICH GOES TO STUD Courtesy Greyhound Racing NSW - Jeff Collerson - Sunday 9th January 2006

BUDDY Rich, who tragically broke a hock when a clear leader in last week's group two Woy Woy Poultry Gold Cup final at Gosford, won't race again. Instead the Wentworth Park champion will retire to Steve and Marree Gyftos' Charmer Lodge stud. Doreen Drynan, who trained Buddy Rich for her daughter Kerry, said: "Buddy Rich may have been able to return to the track eventually but after such a bad injury would not have been as quick. "He'd have lost some of his speed and when dogs are racing against the best, as he would have been, they can't afford that. "It's bad luck because at Gosford he came out of the boxes like a bullet.'' Steve Gyftos said no service fee had yet been set for Buddy Rich, but added: "He is from a fantastic damline and that is what is most important when one is trying to breed a top notcher.'' Jeff Collerson -Monday, 9 January 2006

ODESSA GALLANT IN SILVER CHIEF (Courtesy of the GRA NSW website)

MELBOURNE Cup winner Closing Argument has defied a gallant Captain Odessa (History Lesson x Odessa Lass) to secure tonight’s Group 1 Silver Chief at The Meadows tonight. The brilliant front runner was safely away from box four and, in registering a slick 5.04 to the post the first time had, effectively, established a winning break. Entering the back straight, the Michelle Sultana-trained Captain Odessa worked into second place and set off in pursuit of Closing Argument which was some seven lengths clear. Before the home turn, the leader’s margin had been abbreviated to just on three lengths but Captain Odessa went down by two lengths in a slashing 29.85. Outsider Robby Redbox (Most Awesome x Divine Angel) showed good speed to be prominent early on and battled away to finish a highly creditable third, albeit just on eight lengths from the winner. Closing Argument’s effort (and that of the runner-up) is put into perspective when you consider Pure Octane registered 30.11 when successful in the Free For All company one race earlier. From 19 starts, Closing Argument has saluted 15 times and tonight’s winner’s purse took his earnings past $250,000. Peter Davis -Saturday, 7 January 2006

COMMANDANT's POWERHOUSE WIN A WENTY Courtesy Greyhound Racing NSW - Jeff Collerson - Sunday 1st January 2006

Commandant's (Most Awesome x Katie's Victory) powerhouse win at Wentworth Park at Saturday night delighted Steve Gyftos but still left the affable trainer bewildered. After a slow start Commandant came from sixth in the middle stages to run down Anaconda, a noted strong finisher, in The Gardens Sports Club Stake, 520m. Steve said later: "I can't work Commandant out because he ran 30.60 tonight due to showing no early speed." "Yet he has clocked 29.90 in a solo trial at Wenty and led most of the way to win in 29.03, just outside the record, over 515m at Bulli on December 14. " "The way he was going in the early part of tonight's race I thought he was going to run last, so for him to storm home and win was a bonus. " "Just the same, I'm going to have to put him over a longer distance in the not-too-distant future.''_JEFF COLLERSON Jeff Collerson -Sunday, 1 January 2006