CHARMER LODGE FEATURE NEWS - MARCH 2008

Courtesy GRAQ Website MICK WENT FOR WRONG ONE 27 March, 2008. MICK Menken thought there was no way Hi Ransom could be beaten in a 520m 4th Grade at Albion Park on Thursday night. But Mick’s own dog Stone Cold Sober (Hallucinate-Kalka Kate) soon changed that idea. Stone Cold Sober surprised even his owner-trainer Menken when he stormed past his kennelmate to win in a flying 30.07 to win by two and a half lengths. Hi Ransom was second with a length and three-quarters to Ultra Swift in third. Stone Cold Sober was a dismal failure at his 600m debut a week ago behind Sistermatic. “He got knocked down early but he has to lead if he is going to win over 600m,” said Menken. “I think he will win over 600m but that will be later on now.” Menken said he knew Stone Cold Sober would race well, despite the presence of Hi Ransom. “He galloped sensationally during the week in preparation for this race, right back to his best,” said Mick. “But I didn’t think he could run better than 30.20 and run down Hi Ransom. But he did.” Menken is not certain what to do with both dogs. “I am aiming them for the Qld Derby,” said Menken. “But they will need to have a break before that. But how do I ease them up while they are racing like this.” Stone Cold Sober has now won 10 races in 29 starts. “I thought he was a much better dog from the one box than the eight that he had tonight,” said Mick. “It goes to show you what a good judge I am.” Many “great” judges in the grandstand thought the same. ONE-EYED WONDER 26 March, 2008. TOP owner-trainer Dallas Beckett is hoping Dimple Assassin, the one-eyed wonder of Rockhampton racing, can win him his third Young Star Classic (510m) on Saturday. The daughter of Whisky Assassin-Spring Vintage has raced five times for four wins and a second. Dallas has already earmarked her to venture south to be trained by Col Byers in Toowoomba. He bought the bitch three months ago from NSW breeder Scott Board. "She spiked her near side eye on some barbed wire when she was eight month old," said Dallas. "The eye has clouded over but she has some sight in it. Fortunately she is a brilliant beginner." Dimple Assassin is already a broodbitch potential for Dallas. "Her dam held a couple of track records around NSW and everything she produces can run," he said. Beckett is confident his bitch will go close to winning but is amazed at the quality of the local race. "Unfortunately the club didn't get enough nominations for heats, but the race has brought together a very good field," he said. "Hanson Opal is a fast beginner and she will be improved by her first run over the 510m." However, Dallas fears his own dog Maverick Lee who is drawn in the eight box. "He is quicker out of the boxes than Dimple Assassin, but he is desperate to get to the fence," he said. "At some stage he will be looking to squeeze up everything inside him." Beckett has already won the Young Star Classic with Built By Best and Burst Of Speed. Beckett says he's almost lost count of the number of greyhounds he has at the moment. His former star sprinting bitch Go Princess has recently whelped a litter of four bitches to Surf Lorian. And he has huge wraps on a dog and a bitch pup just being educated by young sire Black Lee-Cyanogenic. "I bought them for $500 from Kev Wisener as pups. They are half brother and sister to Goldina Lass and Oops Sorry who both set a track record at Rockhampton," he said. "The pups are really looking something."

CHARMER LODGE FEATURE NEWS - MARCH 2008

Courtesy GRNS Website Jim's Mate Could Be Another Over Flo TRAINER Owen Langley was comparing Jim's Mate (Hallucinate x Classic Deb) to his former Wentworth Park champion Over Flo after his latest acquisition trounced a classy field on Saturday night. As a winner of just two WP races, Jim's Mate seemed harshly placed the 520m Bill Papadakis Appreciation Free For All. Not only that, the son of Hallucinate had box five and was resuming from a six weeks break. But Jim's Mate made light of all these obstacles, beginning fairly but then courageously pushing between rivals to lead clearly around the first turn. The dog posted brilliant splits of 5.49 and 13.94 before winning comfortably in a tidy 30.25sec. ``He only turned two years of age last week,'' a jubilant Owen Langley said later. ``I will map out a similar campaign with Jim's Mate as I did with Over Flo because he is in the same class.'' Over Flo, now a successful sire, won 13 of 26 WP races under Langley's tutelage, among them the 2005 Peter Mosman Classic final in time just .02sec outside Elite State's 2003 race record. ``The heats are not until May 22 but the Peter Mosman Classic is the race I am aiming Jim's Mate for,'' Owen said on Saturday. JEFF COLLERSON  Miagi's Future Up In The Air A below par trial at Maitland last Monday and a nagging shoulder injury put Wentworth Park 720m record holder Miagi(Hallucinate x Deloris) out of Saturday night's Globe Memorial Easter Chase. ``He pulled up sore after Monday's trial but I thought he might be okay by Saturday night,'' trainer Warren Harper said at WP. ``I took him back to the veterinary surgeon on Wednesday and the shoulder still wasn't quite right. ``Perhaps I could have run him in the Easter Chase three days later but decided the dog possibly wasn't going to perform to his full ability so reluctantly pulled him out. ``My wife Jill and just going to take our time and play it by ear. ``There are some good races coming up in Melbourne like the Lizrene Classic at Sandown in April and the Sandown Cup in May but we won't be rushing him into those.'' JEFF COLLERSON

CHARMER LODGE FEATURE NEWS - MARCH 2008

Can History Repeat Itself? Courtesy GRNSW website COWRA trainer Paul Braddon landed the Multiquip Magic Maiden final two years ago with the flying Modern Supreme and has a strong hand in this year's race following Monday's heats. Braddon's previously unraced puppy In My Days staged an impressive performance to come from fourth early and win heat 11 in a slick 30.47sec. A son of Over Flo and Tammy's Wish, In My Days was bred by Paul Field of Cowra. ``My father Phillip gave Tammy's Wish to Paul and received two pups from the Over Flo litter as a swap,'' Paul Braddon explained. ``Tammy's Wish was a short course specialist who won around 20 races. ``I'm not about to compare In My Days with Modern Supreme because it is too early yet. ``But In My Days is very good. ``He was trialling sensationally at Cowra but then I brought him to Wentworth Park for a gallop and he only clocked 30.82. ``My worry with him early was that he was going fast but not getting to the line strongly. ``The dog has certainly turned that around now.'' In My Days came from box eight on Monday and won running away, suggesting he can go a lot quicker from an inside draw. JEFF COLLERSON

CHARMER LODGE FEATURE NEWS - MARCH 2008

Genista Tricks The Touts GENISTA Thunder left trial clockers perplexed after he posted a dazzling 30.05sec in Monday's heats of the Multiquip Magic Maiden at Wentworth Park. Trained by Neil Falls, at Backmede in the northern rivers district, Genista Thunder led quickly to win by nearly a dozen lengths in the second fastest time of the 16 heats. The Hallucinate-Smoky Whisky pup ``got under the guard'' of trial watchers because at his only previous WP hit-out he had clocked a fairly pedestrian 30.70sec. But after Monday's race owner Narelle Mitchell explained: ``Neil had driven direct to Wenty with Genista Thunder and after a 10 hour car trip the dog was pretty flat. ``Actually his first sectional time in the trial was 5.48sec, .04 faster than he ran today. ``But his overall time was obviously affected by the long drive. ``We knew this dog was pretty special though because he had recorded a tick outside the Casino track record in a trial recently.'' JEFF COLLERSON