THE eagerly anticipated clash of litter brothers Cryer’s Bob and Cryer’s Plugger in last Sunday’s 732-metre Back To Distance Racing at Tara Raceway certainly did not disappoint.
Raced and trained by Margaret and Tom Cryer of Apsley, the sons of Spring Gun and Cryer’s Midget went into the race undefeated over the distance – Bob successful in December and again in early February while Plugger had won at his only run over the stayers’ course back in October.
And Cryer’s Plugger, having his first run back at Tara Raceway for Cryer after a change of kennels and a stint of racing on Victorian tracks, lost no friends when chasing his brother throughout, eventually going down by a length in 43.78 seconds – a time second only to that of Nellie Noodles’ 43.45 seconds run on March 27, 2011.
A couple of days later, Moyston trainer Peter Franklin was at the Tara Raceway trials and a suggestion put to him was that a clash over 732 metres between McIvor Verna and the Cryer brothers would be worth the price of an admission ticket.
The Franklin-trained McIvor Verna holds the Tara Raceway 600 metre record at 34.84 seconds, is undefeated in two starts over 732 metres at Tara Raceway and is a Victorian city winner at Sandown Park and The Meadows.
“To be honest, I reckon the earliest Verna could be back here would be June,” he said.
“I’m looking at the Super Stayers at The Meadows, then the Association Cup and Gold Cup at Wentworth Park, followed by the Lizrene and Sandown Cups in May.
“Mind you, I certainly wouldn’t mind Plugger and Bob coming along for the ride with Verna.”
Unfortunately, Franklin’s odyssey has commenced with McIvor Verna being drawn as a reserve in a red-hot first heat of tomorrow night’s Super Stayers.
Finniss trainer return to Tara Raceway as cup interest intensifies
FINNISS trainer Lauren Harris returns to Tara Raceway on Sunday for the first time in a couple of years, bringing Tullabung Betty, Farmin and Stack The Aces for a look at the track with a view to returning for next month’s Mount Gambier Cup carnival.
And she should get a fair idea of where she’s at with Tullabung Betty, a 29.79 seconds 515 metre Angle Park winner earlier this month, when the daughter of Dyna Tron x Hidden Assets takes on a top field from box seven in 512-metre The Border Watch Open Stake.
The line-up includes cup contenders Hutch and Lektra Stomp, both recent sub-29.60 second winners, along with Zuma Creek, who ran a good third behind Trouper and Riveting in a hot 27.01 seconds over 485 metres at Horsham on Tuesday.
Farmin, raced by Fabregal’s owner Terry McCallum, looks well placed from box eight in the 512-metre Greyhound-Data.com Stake for grade six greyhounds.
The 35 kilogram son of Djays Octane x Kiowa Angel recently ran a best of night 30.84 seconds at Gawler over 531 metres before pushing last week’s Angle Park St Leger winner Victa Louise to a couple of lengths at Gawler on Tuesday afternoon.
And Stack The Aces hasn’t been given any walk-up start, drawing box five in the 512-metre Gordon Refrigeration Stake which includes the Ray Fewings’s trained Paua To Kapau who defeated Tullabung Betty at Angle Park last week.
A winner of 14 races, Stack The Aces is a son Bella Infrared and Honky Tonk Girl who is a litter sister to Red Lesta, the sire of another cup contender in Print The Money.
Harris was last at Tara Raceway in 2016 when she ran second in the Mount Gambier Cup behind Mojito Mayhem with Danyo’s Frank after earlier in the day going down by a head with Danyo’s Tom in the 600-metre Fireball to Lektra Kelly.
Meanwhile, Dennington trainer Dustin Drew said this week he was hopeful of having Dream Future – a 29.82 seconds Silver Chief heat winner at The Meadows – ready for the Mount Gambier Cup.
The son of Barcia Bale and Greysynd Elite has raced on 24 occasions for nine wins, six minor placings and $29,000 in prizemoney.
“He’s had a few injury problems but I think he’s over those now and I should have time to get a Tara Raceway trial into him prior to March 11,” he said.
Drew also said that Solitary Girl, a 23.02 seconds 400 metre maiden winner at Tara Raceway and a winner at Sandown Park last Sunday over 515 metres in 29.44 seconds, was still “some chance” of contesting the cup.
