CALOUNDRA CUP - ALBION PARK HARNESS - AND IPSWICH GREYHOUNDS PHOTOS......Part 1

By Phil Purser

04/07/2012

Caloundra photos Dan Costello rest Phil Purser

Jockey Micheal (hell yeah - yes that's the way he spells his Michael) Hellyer found it hard to hide the excitement after his first stakes winner at the Sunshine Coast meeting last Saturday. His mount, the Len Treloar trained Tuskegee Hawk won the Sunshine Coast Guineas with Double Impact second and Goldslick third.

Strapper Hayley Nichols was more than delighted when Neriani scored a narrow win in the first race of the day at Caloundra on their Cup day last Saturday. Neriani has gone like a hobbled duck at her previous run at Ipswich in the Gai Waterhouse Classic when clocking in 14th of 16.

Saturday Morning Mail clients were advised to be wary of a major turnaround in her form at Caloundra with this comment:

NERIANI

Went disgracefully at Queensland debut when she ran 14th of 16 in the Gai Waterhouse Classic on Ipswich Cup Day but she is better than that on her Melbourne form. She easily has the “highest average earnings per start” of any runner here, which suggests she should be included in all exotics.

Jockey Chris Munce works hard to get Race 2 winner, lucky number seven, Grey Assignment, home at the Caloundra Cup meeting last Saturday. The horse was going nowhere at any stage of the race until the last 50, in fact he was hunted along by Munce from a long way out. Maybe the others are just bad horses?

Some days are diamonds. Brisbane trainer Kelso Wood looks happy with the win of his charge Grey Assignment - as he gets the low down from winning jockey Chris Munce. The Caloundra win by Grey Assignment means the gelding has now won two in row, as he'd won his previous start at Ipswich on their Cup day.

Rocket Beebee and Peter McMullen went flying past Clerk of the Course Don Ross jnr on their way to victory at the Albion Park meeting last Monday. Rocket Beebee started at $4.20. The 6YO Pacific Rocket gelding is trained by one of the nice guys of the harness racing industry - John Davis - who just happens to be married to the stunning Pam. I'm convinced some people like John Davis are just born lucky.

Upward Ever Upward returns in colours depicting him as a star, after running fourth at Albion Park last Monday. The driver is B for Bart Cockburn. Let's meet the gelding's trainer.

Here we are - all the way from Warwick - Upward Ever Upward's trainer is Anthony Collins and this was Anthony with his pacer after the race. Anthony trains greyhounds and pacers and also calls the thoroughbreds at Warwick. One day when he gets a break in the traffic he might find himself a bride - but I don't think he's in any rush. Smart man.

A jubilant Phillip Wolfgram returns to scale with Clerk of the Course Georgie Brown after they had combined with the Tony Sears trained galloper The Ringmaster to win Race 3 at the Sunshine Coast last Saturday. The Ringmaster was resuming from a spell here after running an ordinary race in the Weetwood Handicap on his home track in Toowoomba.

Toowoomba trainer Tony Sears was interviewed on course on Sky Channel by former jockey Bernadette Cooper after his horse The Ringmaster had been successful in winning Race 3 on the programme at Caloundra last Saturday. The Ringmaster scored in a close photo over Tornadoes, with a further half length away to third placegetter Nickiera.

Justin Stanley was photographed by the Justracing camera on his return to the enclosure after he had combined with Fusil De Eve to win the Bruce McLachlan Classic at the Sunshine Coast last Saturday. The winner is trained by Bruce McLachlan's son Jason.

Out at Ipswich greyhounds yesterday afternoon and this is a photo taken soon after the Race 1 field had jumped from the 431-metre boxes. Anyone want shares in the four dog with the blue rug? No me neither.

What about 30 metres further on - and suddenly the field has drifted slightly up the track and now the four dog in the blue rug has a rails run presented to him. Is he good enough to take the run and win? Stick with me and I'll show you.

Boo. I can see you too. The four dog in the blue rug is named Got Helpers and this is him winning Race 1 paying $3.90 on Tattsbet. He is owned by the Butibam Partnership, which is second on the owners premiership at the Ipswich track currently behind Reg Hazelgrove's Hazelgrove Partnership.

Veteran catcher Keith Sternberg caught Got Helpers for Park Ridge based trainer Rachel Scott after the win of the 4th of November 2010 whelped son of Nitro Burst and Voodoo Myth who got home by 1.75 lengths.

Mike Chapman is trainer Rachel Scott's partner and this was Mike photographed with Got Helpers after the win. Mike left a successful career in banking to take up working with greyhounds many many moons ago and to his credit he's never looked back, albeit like all trainers and people involved in racing, he's been up a few dry gullies along the way. Rachel Scott has got a commanding lead in the Ipswich female trainers premiership race. Before yesterday's meeting started Rachel was on 127 points, with Lois Neal in second spot on 98. For the record Jill Hay is third on 94.

Brian Holliday was photographed with his Ipswich Race 3 runner Mega Five. By Give Me Five out of Top Talker, Mega Five ran third in Race 2. Going back to the 1970's when we were all a lot younger, Brian was badly injured at Tweed Heads track one day when hit by the lure at full speed. He was young and had got excited over training his first winner - a greyhound that turned out to be a very smart performer named Megsieloo - and he ran out in front of the lure to catch his greyhound. He was badly injured, but thankfully lived to tell the tale.

With the price of power going up all the time, I photographed this already air conditioned house out near Roadvale yesterday. Roadvale is only about 10 kilometres from Boonah and of course Boonah is famous in racing for two things - firstly former top jockey Mel Schumacher was born in Boonah Hospital and secondly it is the home of Trevor Titcomb, who part owned four time Inter Dominion winner Blacks A Fake.

And on the way to Boonah I photographed this sign, which I thought was a great name for a property. In fact I reckon Wattavue would be a good name for a thoroughbred, pacer or greyhound.

TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW....................