CHARMER LODGE FEATURE NEWS - NOVEMBER 2007

WITHEREN’S TO TRY 600M 29 Nov, 2007. TOP sprinter Witheren’s Girl will be among the entries for the Group 1 Brisbane Cup at Albion Park next Thursday night. But trainer Ron Ball knows his bitch is crying out for 600m. Witheren’s Girl (Placard-Berella Shantal) stormed home late to win by three-quarters of a length at Albion Park on Thursday night in 30.54 in a 520m Best 8. She downed Gozo Smile with a length to Jindivic in third. Witheren’s Girl is raced by Bill Crooks and took her record to 17 wins from 64 starts, 11 of them have been at Albion Park. “I know she is looking for 600m,” said Ball. “But she deserves her chance in the Cup next week.” Witheren’s Girl came off the rails on Thursday night but found slight early trouble and was checked again in the back straight but ran on gamely to win. Jindivic, having his first start for a month, led to the home turn but compounded to finish third. Gozo Smile loomed up on the home turn but he could not hold off Witheren’s Girl at the line.

CHANGE OF TACTICS 9 Nov, 2007. BARRY Dull tried something different at Albion Park on Thursday night and it landed him a winner. Dooley’s Jet (Hallucinate-Dooley’s Mist) led throughout to win a 520m 3rd-4th Grade in 30.63. He scored by three lengths over Anarchy with a half head to Carnage Maker in third. Dull thought Dooley’s Jet would win at Albion Park last Monday night but the dog missed the start badly and was never a winning chance after that. “He has to lead to win and I was disappointed he showed none of his early dash on Monday night,” said Dull. So Dull decided to not preview Dooley’s Jet before Thursday night’s race. The result was that Dooley’s Jet flew out and sped through a 5.73 first section to open up a winning break. “This dog has gone close to breaking 5.70 for his first section here,” said Dull Dooley’s Mist has now won nine races and eight of them have been at Albion Park. “He goes better here than anywhere else, which is not a bad thing of course,” said his breeder, owner and trainer. Future plans for Dooley’s Jet remain around Albion Park. “He will always keep getting starts here, even if it is in top grade,” said Dull.

TEJAY ALMOST SCRATCHED 9 Nov, 2007. YOUTHFUL trainer Travis Elson almost scratched his star galloper Tejay’s Assassin from Albion Park on Thursday night. It would have cost him $3250. That’s what the son of Royal Assassin-Capishe’s Figlia earned when winning a 5th Grade final (520m). He led throughout and just held off the fast finishing Treger Beggar by three-quarters of a length in 30.57 with a length and a quarter to Little Einstein in third. “I was concerned the constant racing he has had lately was knocking him about,” said Elson. “After Monday night’s run I seriously contemplated pulling him out of this final.” Tejay’s Assassin finished only fourth behind Serbian Belle at Albion Park on Monday night when beaten 7lgths. But Travis tried to freshen the dog coming into the race and it obviously worked. “I don’t think he can cope with more than one race a week,” said Elson. “And he has been getting knocked around a bit in his races of late.” Having said that, Tejay’s Assassin will back-up at Albion Park on Monday night. “I’ve been trying to beat the grader and win as many fifth grades as I can,” said Elson. Elson is tossing up with the idea of running Tejay’s Assassin in the up-coming Group 1 Brisbane Cup at Albion Park early in December. “He’s going well and we want to give him his chance in a big race like that,” said Travis. “He loves this track and we will keep him coming back here.” Tejay’s Assassin has won 13 races and seven of those have been at headquarters. Elson also decided not to preview his dog on Thursday night. “That’s the second time I’ve missed the preview and he won both times,” said Travis.

November 2007 Miagi Sets Sandown Alight Seven locally trained sprinters and a lone Queenslander will do battle in Australia’s richest first race - the Schweppes-sponsored Melbourne Cup - at Sandown Park next Thursday night. But, in the Group 2 Bold Trease Carnival Cup, the NSW-trained Maigi will cement his place as the country’s best stayer should he dominate as he did tonight on the same card. The Melbourne Cup heats drew outstanding fields and the Jason Thompson-trained Uno Joel provided bookmakers with an immediate result in the opening heat. Uno Joel faced 2006 Cup winner Betty’s Angel, the immensely talented One Tree Hill along with the talented Trew Millions and Group 1 winner Train A Journey. Betty’s Angel was not quite able to lead from box five and, when checked at the first turn, One Tree Hill assumed control. Most would have conceded the contest to One Tree Hill – a noted strong finisher – but Uno Joel swept to the lead with 150m to run and held on to score by 1 1/2 lengths in 30.01. Shootout winner Cool Effort, one of six runners for leading trainer Darren McDonald in the Cup heats, started a 2/5 chance in heat two and was beaten on merit by the widely travelled Give Me Five. Cool Effort was untroubled to lead from box seven yet, in the middle stages, Give Me Five made a sharp move to the inside of the favourite to gain control and go on and score by a little less than three lengths in a fast 29.65. 2006 Paws Of Thunder winner Suave Fella was a further 2 1-4 lengths away in third place. The speedy Tasman Queen added to her already impressive Sandown record with an all-the-way win in heat three, registering 29.63. In 10 previous wins at the track, Tasman Queen had a personal best time of 29.73 and she pulled out all stops to salute by 1-1/4 lengths from another of the McDonald team in Bye Bye Bones. Group 1 Maturity winner Run's House, after being moderately away from box two, had his chance and battled on to finish third, a clear 3-3/4 lengths from the winner. After a remarkable win over Hot To Rumble in a fast 29.68 seven days earlier, Talk’s Cheap was well supported to start a 10/9 chance in heat four and, after having little room to move early on, the son of Spiral Nikita ground out a 3-1/4 lengths win in 29.88 in heat four. His time might have been inferior to the previous heats winners but the effort was supreme. He accounted for another Group 1 winner Pete's Conquest (Australian Cup) and outsider Pure Rush. Former NSW sprinter All Caution provided Darren McDonald with his first Cup finalist in heat five. After a poor start, the black dog secured a run through along the rails at the first turn when the even money elect Que Sera Sera was badly checked. He went from ‘zero to hero’ in a matter of 100m and sailed away in the latter stages to score by 6-1/2 lengths in 29.76. Winoki also maintained clear running through the first turn and finished second, a half length ahead of a luckless Sonador. 2006 Cup runner-up Miss Mini Mouse produced a terrific late surge to take heat six in 30.11. She trained Tonka Bale to the turn and finished resolutely along the rails to score by a neck with Mandagery Man a clear 4 1/4 lengths away, third. Shanlyn Prince appealed as the best bet of the night in the seventh Cup heat and, from box one, made no mistakes. He accounted for Brooklyn Belle by 3-1/2 lengths while Proven Alias made late ground to finish a further 1-1/2 lengths away, third in 29.80. Multiple Group race winner Slater continued way back to peak powers by taking the final Cup heat in 29.83. After rails runner Run The Risk was slow to begin, Slater bumped Hot To Rumble (box six) out of the way at the first turn and was not threatened thereafter to score by three lengths in 29.83. Hot To Rumble was a massive 8-1/2 lengths clear of minor placegetter Avon Lyla May but never really threatened Slater. While the sprinters will vie for $150,000 next Thursday and attract most attention, Miagi might prove to be the star attraction on the big night. The Wentworth Park 720m record holder was new to the Lightwood Road track tonight and, after enduring a 13-hour road trip from the NSW Central Coast, toyed with his rivals to win the second of the Carnival Cup heats in a fast 42.18. Though well outside Total Denial’s 41.80 track record, Miagi could not have been more impressive to score by 7 1-2 lengths from Kulu Magic and Sonic Jet Earlier, the Ann Barnes-trained Fancy Penny won the opening heat of the Group 2 feature in 42.52 from Token Ned and Sky Hazzard. Fancy Penny has taken a real liking to Sandown but, with Miagi perfectly placed in box eight in the decider, she will need to find a few lengths to upset the son of Hallucinate next week. Cash Express made full use of box one to win the third of three Carnival Cup heats in 42.42. The vastly experienced Miss Brook rallied in the latter stages to finish second while Shanlyn Supreme was third. Shanlyn Supreme held second to the latter stages but Miss Brook, in a performance much like her placing in the Summer Cup at Wentworth Park on November 17, powered late to snare the quinella position. The dour nature of Miss Brook’s will certainly need to be improved upon against Miagi. He an imposing turn of foot, an impeccable record and room to improvement into the Cup Final. Bookmakers will take no risks and onlookers will have a sight to behold should he take control early on. Bold Trease he may not be … but Miagi he is. A terrific stayer and the most impressive winner on a night of stellar performances.

Miagi Does NSW Proud JUST how good is Miagi? Despite not having been ``off the lead'' since November 10, the Warren Harper-trained dog posted near course record time in his win in a heat of the Bold Trease Carnival Cup at Sandown on Thursday night. Miagi covered the 715m in 42.18sec, easily fastest time of the heats and a mere .38 outside the mighty Total Denial's course record. ``Miagi had never seen Sandown before the race,'' Warren Harper said this week. ``He seemed to slip at the start but got to the front at the 515 metre boxes. ``In the run home he got a bit tired but that was to be expected. ``He is an absolute freak do what he did. ``My wife Jill and I drove to Melbourne on Wednesday night and the dog had never travelled so far before. ``We took another greyhound with him for company but when we got to Melbourne Miagi wouldn't settle in his strange kennel. ``I think he thought we were going to leave him behind so we finished up putting him in his trailer all day Thursday. ``He is perfectly drawn in box eight in Thursday's final.'' JEFF COLLERSON