CHARMER LODGE FEATURE NEWS - JULY 2007

Courtesy GRAQ website 19 July, 2007. HOLLY IS HOT Photo courtesy of Corey Pearce (Brisbane) JOHN Dart reckons Hermione Holly is capable of winning at Albion Park in at least 30.10. The daughter of Whisky Assassin-Hermione Granger might have run only 30.62 to win a 520m 5th Grade at Albion Park on Thursday night but John and his wife, trainer Glenda, know exactly the ability their bitch has. She scored by a length over Just The Song with a head to early leader Allakazan in third. It was the first Thursday night winner at Albion Park for former Australian greyhound of the year Whisky Assassin and according to Dart far from the last. "This is a very, very good bitch," said John. Hermione Holly is raced by Seona Hood, partner of premier Victorian trainer Jason Thompson. "Seona sent her north just after breaking in with a report that she was as good as Vulture Street," said Dart. That dog, now back with Thompson in Victoria, was a National Derby finalist and runner-up in the WA Derby two months ago. Dart reports a huge offer was made for the bitch after she won brilliantly at Lismore early in June. "She's not for sale because we know there is much, much more to her," said Dart. "She's very inexperienced and with more racing she will get down to at least 30.10. "She's still learning how to race here. She's not beginning but when it all comes together you will see something." The Darts will take Hermione Holly through the grades at Albion Park but she is also heading to Sydney for a race or two at Wentworth Park. "Miss Grub is going to Wenty for the NSW heats of the National Distance and this bitch will go with her for a couple of runs," said Dart. Hermione Holly has won six and been placed in five of her 14 starts. It was her first Albion Park win in five starts. "And certainly not her last," said Dart. Allakazan opened up a big lead early in the race, but was quickly claimed in the straight, firstly by Just The Song and then near the line by Hermione Holly.

CHARMER LODGE FEATURE NEWS - JULY 2007

DERBY REGRET 26 July, 2007. Photo courtesy of Corey Pearce (Brisbane) JIM Conlon reckons a Fifth Grade victory at Albion Park might be some compensation. Jim's promising youngster Sleek And Smart (History Lesson-Sleek Model) brilliantly won a 520m 5th Grade at headquarters on Thursday night in 30.45. He overcame a severe check at the first turn to score by five and a half lengths from Real Exciting with three and a quarter lengths to Yatala Zappa in third. It was his ninth victory in just 15 starts and owner-trainer Conlon believes the dog is a high class galloper in the making. But he also laments the dog's awkwardness in a field. "I think it cost him a win in his heat of the Qld Derby here in June," said Conlon. That indeed is a big statement considering Big Swell won that Derby heat in 30.36 and then went on to win the Group 2 final the following week. Big Swell then came back to Queensland to win the Group 1 Winter Carnival Cup only last week. "I honestly thought he should have won his heat," said Jim. "Big Swell came up with the rails in the Derby final and won it." Sleek And Smart was bought from Roger Green by Conlon as a pup. "He is a magnificent looking dog and that's why I bought him," he said. He believes the dog will develop into a smart galloper with more racing. "He should get 600m when he gets older and with more racing," he said. "If he can get 600m, that's when he will be a top class dog." For now Sleek And Smart will continue to campaign around Albion Park trying to win his low grades. The dog began well from his wide draw but was badly checked nearing the catching pen and lost momentum. He retained the lead and then stormed away with a final section of 12.73 to win easily. "He'll just keep getting better," said Conlon one of the most astute greyhound men in Queensland for the past 30 years.

CHARMER LODGE FEATURE NEWS - JULY 2007

HOLLY HEADS HOME 26 July, 2007. Photo courtesy of Corey Pearce (Brisbane) VICTORIAN owned Hermione Holly is heading home to be set for the South Australian Oaks. The daughter of Whisky Assassin-Hermione Granger scored her second Albion Park victory in succession when a stylish victory on Thursday night. She won by two and three-quarter lengths over Little Einstein in a 520m 5th Grade with four lengths to Misty Bear in third. The winner ran 30.32. John Dart, whose wife Glenda trains the dog, said she would be flown home on Monday to Victoria to the kennels of Jason Thompson whose partner Seona Hood owns the bitch. "I believe she is going home to be set for the SA Oaks," said John. "She is a very, very good bitch," said Dart. "There is so much more improvement left in her." Dart said the bitch is ideally suited by wide boxes. The win took her record to seven wins and five placings from 15 starts. Hermione Holly's place in the Dart kennel has been taken by Thompson's extra smart sprinter Spirit Squad. The dog has already been a finalist in the Group 1 National Derby and Dart said he would be set for the Lismore Cup and a Young Guns series. Spirit Squad is a litter brother to Group 1 winner Run's House and WA Derby runner-up and National Derby finalist Vulture Street, the latter having been in the Dart kennel as a pup.

CHARMER LODGE FEATURE NEWS - JULY 2007

Courtesy GRNSW Website: Cookies Habit For Canberra SATURDAY's impressive Wentworth Park long-distance winner Cookies Habit (Royal Assassin x Crazy Habit) is now off to Canberra for the annual Toledo Trailers National Capital Distance Championship. Heats of the 600m event, for the best 32 entries, will be run on Sunday with the $6000 to the winner final a week later. And a brilliant trial over the Canberra 600m trip last Tuesday indicates Cookies Habit will be the one to beat. ``She recorded 34.79 and the locals tell me they haven't seen anything like that run for ages,'' trainer Geoff Cook said at WP on Saturday night. Pecajoma's long-established course record stands at 34.52. Cook admitted he was a bit concerned the fast trial might have flattened Cookies Habit for the WP 720m race just four days later. But Cookies Habit proved herself a tough campaigner by heading hot favorite Zin Zin Zanziba with a lap to go and hanging on gamely to narrowly beat Manizzy Hypo. JEFF COLLERSON

CHARMER LODGE FEATURE NEWS - JULY 2007

Auction Buy A Classic Finalist Iigloo Osti, (Placard x Osti's Lass) bought at the Dapto puppy auctions at nine months old for just $3000, took his record to nine wins from 12 starts with a debut victory at Wentworth Park on Saturday night. Trained at Wallandbeen, near Cootamundra, by Jackie Roy, Iigloo Osti took advantage of a first turn scrimmage for a strong win in heat two of the Nexia Court & Co Young Star Classic. Roy later explained the unusual spelling of his dog's name. ``The dog's owner Mark Stewart has a website called Iigloo that showcases both thoroughbred and greyhound racing,'' Roy said. ``But Mark has been a greyhound man for a long while, having stood Lucky Ferrari at stud at Goulburn many years ago.'' JEFF COLLERSON

CHARMER LODGE FEATURE NEWS - JULY 2007

Lilley Criminal Cashes In SINCE winning her first race at Richmond over 535m in slashing fashion, Lilley Criminal's name has rarely been far from the headlines. The daughter of Hallucinate opened her city account at Wentworth Park tonight in commanding fashion in a smart 30.25 in the Hunter To Harbour Final and looks headed for top grade. Though facing only grade five company, her rivals included the talented Lorna Moira (box one) and My Mate Pog (seven) which, like Lilley Criminal, had posted very smart wins at The Gardens on July 20. After beginning smartly from box two, Lilley Criminal was outpaced by Lorna Moira in the run through the first turn and a pitched battled raged to the home turn. At that point, Lilley Criminal surged and put 4-1/2 lengths on Lorna Moira in the final stages to score emphatically. My Mate Pog was third - just over 6 lengths further back - and never seriously threatened but his, and Lorna Moir's, turn in the winner's list at WP is just around the corner. Lilley Criminal's record has improved to six wins from just eight starts and her capacity to handle any box will stand her in good stead as the grader makes her upcoming assignments a little tougher.

CHARMER LODGE FEATURE NEWS - JULY 2007

JET LOVES THE CREEK Courtesy GRAQ website - 5 July, 2007. BARRY Dull just can’t wipe the smile from his face at the moment, and has no intention of doing so. Dull’s champion stayer Dooley’s Mist has a litter of Hallucinate pups flying, including Dooley’s Jet a 30.46 all-the-way winner in a 520m 5th Grade at Albion Park on Thursday night. Utilizing his inside alley, Dooley’s Jet scored by five and a quarter lengths over the fast finishing Californian Babe with a head to Toucan McGaw in third. “Five of the litter have won in the past week, four of them from my kennel,” said Dull. They include Red Hot Dooley in a best of the night 25.65 at Ipswich on a wet track, Playing Tricks in 25.30 at Ipswich and Dooley’s Angel in a brilliant 25.19 only last Tuesday night. And Sam Beau Stanley, from the Shayne Parker kennel, was a winner at Albion Park last week as well. Dull is finding it hard to sort out the best of the litter. “This dog (Dooley’s Jet) could go to the top,” he said. “He loves to highball it out in front as he showed tonight and he just loves Albion Park, which isn't a bad thing at all.” But Dull says Dooley’s Angel is highly promising. Dooley’s Mist was the star stayer of her time in Queensland winning the Group 1 Albion Park Gold Cup and also the state final of the National Distance. The Hallucinate litter is her second. Unfortunately she has missed in two subsequent matings to Brett Lee and Surf Lorian and Dull is aware he “may have a problem with her which I will have to get sorted out”. But in the meantime, he is looking forward to the immediate future with this litter. “The beauty of them is that they all like Albion Park,” he said. Dooley’s Jet was impressive in that he led easily and was going to the line strongly in the straight. He has now won four of nine starts and was a finalist in the recent Puppy Classic at Albion Park.

CHARMER LODGE FEATURE NEWS - JULY 2007

PICK ME UP FOR BEV Courtesy GRAQ website - 5 July, 2007. MASAI Magic provided some much needed magic for his owner Bev Behm when he scored another victory at Albion Park on Thursday night. Masai Magic (Hallucinate-Snazzy Fool) scored by three-quarters of a length in 30.40 in a 520m 5th Grade. Trained by Errol Suell, Masai Magic downed Surf’s Up Bob with nine lengths to Yatala Zappa in third. He had run a brilliant 30.27 when wining at headquarters last week. Owner Bev Behm is in the Mater Hospital. Masai Magic was bred by Helen Lamberton. Suell has trained the dog for the past few months and is impressed with his improvement. “He is just starting to learn what this racing is all about,” said Suell. “For a long time his feet went faster than his brain, but just lately he’s got them both working as one.” He sure has. “I educated him a Fridays and he has always shown he will run on,” said Suell. “He won a 520m at Albion Park on a Friday some weeks ago and came home in 12.47. “He will get 600 metres easily, but I don’t want to step up to that for a while.” Immediate plans are for him to be given a try against the Group 1 performers next week in the heats of the Winter Carnival Cup. “He’s always been able to run,” said Suell. “But he’s been awkward. His first trial over 520m here he nearly hit the catching pen but still ran 30.40.” Masai Magic has now won four of 14 starts and been placed four times.”