Racing Wraps – December 2021

RACING WRAP – Monday 27th December.

Weatherwise it was a true summer’s day for our last meeting of 2021, a very eventful and disruptive year to say the least.

A feature of the race’s racing was a quartet of wins for both Team Craik and Glennis Farrell.

Tracey and Lisa’s winners were Opawa Delight in a BOD 30.96secs. over the 527m, with Portland Wonder (18.57secs. BOD), the unbeaten Georgia’s Girl and Barney Parrot over the 318m trip.

Team Farrell had three consecutive victories with Zipping Aubry, Opawa Kirk and newcomer to the kennel Gotcha Murphy before Manukau favourite Zipping Barty, bounced back into winning form by leading home kennelmate Opawa Slick.

At just his second start Mark & John Smith’s Blazing Impact broke through for his maiden win. He is now the second of the Blazin’ Bomber- Classy Impact litter to salute the judge.

318m heats were run at our last meeting for both C1and C2 graded sprinters. Taking out yesterday’s finals were the afore mentioned Georgia’s Girl, in the C1 final and Railing Raccoon for Te Kauwhata based Sean Codlin. The Raccoon is certainly in a purple patch of form, having been placed or winning at both Manukau and Cambridge in his last 4 starts.

The other C2 sprinter successful was Wayne & Tracy Steele’s Mr. Marcel. He has his debut race at our track last meeting and showed the benefit of the experience plus a favourable rail’s draw, with a nice win. Also having her first Manukau win was Thayne Green’s Tides Rising, she relishing her favoured outside draw to score by nearly 5 lengths.

Another opportunity to give out of form chasers a chance to regain winning form and the confidence that comes with it is a reserve order race. Enjoying that benefit was Agent Amy, who was having her first run from the Shardae Hunt kennels, winning from the unfavourable box 6.

The meeting is hopefully the last that will be conducted under the Covid Red Traffic Light protocols as our next scheduled meeting will see the allowed number of attendees to increase in number allowed under the Orange Traffic Light protocols.

The club’s board thanks all who made the day a success both on the track and in the stadium, your contributions are never under estimated.

With the New Year kicking off in a few days we take this opportunity to wish the Manukau Faithfull all the very, very best for 2022. May it be a good year for us all.

Trials – Wednesday 29th December commencing at 10.00am.

Next Race Meeting – Monday 3rd January, first race scheduled to begin at the later time of 3.39pm.

Opawa Delight

Blazing Impact

Agent Amy

RACING WRAP – Sunday 19th December.

Weather wise it was a stellar day to welcome back our mates from south of the border.
The day’s race programme centred around heats for the lower graded sprinters, with finals to be held at our next meeting on Monday 27th.
There were four heats of the Sportsbowl Function Series for the C1 chasers. The unbeaten Georgia’s Girl took time honours posting an 18.57secs., with Drifter Dodge also recording at smart 18.59secs. heat win. The other heat winners were Knuckles Nugget, returning from a four month spell and Bigtime Honey who relished her wide draw.
With just three heats of the C2 Jo’s Wholesale & Sportsbar Taipa Tavern Series the three winners and runners up will be joined by the two fastest thirds in the final. Taking heat time honours was ZenStar Racing’s, Zoe Star in new PB of 18.52secs. Ruby Express and Smash Zone both scored from wide draws in their respective heats.
As always box draws will be key in the finals.
Zipping Saint graduated to the open company ranks with a very nippy PB of 18.41secs in the MPS Fencing Sprint. Also producing a PB and now just one win away from the open ranks is You Ready Boots, clearing a packing field at the first bend to race away for a near 14 length win in a smart 18.39secs. With our established sprinters and these real up and comers next year’s Grp.1 Railway Sprint will be a hummer. We have covered off the other sprint winner Zipping Hewitt in the previous post.
The remaining two events in the programme were C1 527m events. The winners were half sisters both recording their first wins at the track and race distance for owner Daryl McLachlan. About To Do, a daughter of Winsome Opawa, began better than her previous Manukau start to take command going into the first bend and extend her winning margin to a healthy 7 lengths at the line in a time of 30.72secs.
Black Tea, led from box rise to score in an impressive 30.41secs., a time rarely achieved by a C1 assessed chaser. With her not turning two years of age until March next year, there is plenty in store to come for Black Tea. (there’s another young talent from her litter racing in Canterbury, Milky Tea a winner of 5 of her 13 starts). They are by the 2014 Melbourne Cup winner Dyna Villa,( whose recently retired son Dyna Dave, was winner of 38 races and $275k in stakes during his NZ career). Their dam Mandy Junior is by Barcia Bale and a granddaughter of our 527m (29.77secs. unbroken since 2008) track record holder, the brilliant Winsome Ashley.
The new Hayley Mullane/Emma Potts partnership topped the trainer’s honours with a quartet of wins, add in a win for Marie Prangley and it was five for the “Clevedon Clan”. A brace of wins for both Team Farrell and the Tracey and Lisa Craik partnership, with individual wins for Ron and Nyomi O’Regan, Peter Heterick and Ross and Lyn Udy, their winner Smash Zone is owned by Peter Heterick, making it a very successful day for him.
Special recognition of two people.
Firstly, to our lure driver Mike ‘MacGyver’ Lozell for his problem solving skills. Prior to the commencement of our programme we had a serious problem, a brake seizure with our water truck. A quick call up to Mike stationed upstairs in the stadium and he had the problem solved. Thank you, Mike, you are just the man for situations like this.
Secondly, congratulations to Rhian Schlaepfer on boxing her first winner, Zipping Saint for her Nan, Glennis Farrell. Rhian shows a maturity beyond her years when completing her duties on the track and has real affinity with hounds she handles. Simply great to see.
To conclude, it was great to see a full trainer’s car park and so many Waikato based trainers back at Manukau, here’s hoping that border will never be needed in the future. A great atmosphere inside the stadium with our poplar five race Last One Standing Challenge won by one lucky team.
Next Trials – Wednesday 22nd December, commencing at 10.00am, GRNZ protocols apply.
Trainers; please note that the track will be power harrowed on completion of the trials.
Next Race Meeting – Monday 27th December. Covid Red Traffic Light protocols apply.

Trainer: Marsha Black

Trainer: Lynne Udy

Trainer: R O’Regan

RACING WRAP – Sunday 12th December.

Weatherwise, it was a programme of two halves as portrayed in the podium photographs.

Rain and an increasing wind set in after the conclusion of our fourth event, leaving all those outdoors thoroughly soaked by the final event. No summer’s day that’s for sure.

Sunday was the first race day for the recently formed Hayley Mullane/Emma Potts partnership and they certainly hit the ground running, winning three of the eight races. Smoothie displayed her characteristic strength to hold out the promising Opawa Kirk in the MPS Fencing Stakes over the 527m trip. In the next race Spring Cesc gave them a double when scoring after 5 previously unsuccessful Manukau starts. Topping off their day was Eye Spy Luna who led home kennel mate Black Tea also over the 527m trip.

Scoring a brace of wins was the consistent Tracey and Lisa Craik kennel. In a day of highs and lows for their team, Mirko led home four of his kennel mates; For Your Page, You Ready Boots, Portland Berry and Serbian Ace. The team finishing 1,2,3,4,5 in a seven dog field. Portland Wonder continued her rich vein of form winning the C4-5 sprint in a BOD 18.41secs. The win now making it three in a row for her.

A win on debut is always a special result. Live Streaming did just that for his trainer Thayne Green. Mark down this bold chaser to go through the grades as he learns his trade.

Black Bridge showed early pace to clear her rivals and lead throughout the 318m to score in a PB of 18.67secs for trainer Rob Roper. She rewarded a healthy winning dividend of $15/1 to her supporters.

The weather conditions made it a tough for the quality field of chasers entering the boxes in our last event. The runners who had previously been successful over the 600m+ trip came from behind to take the top two spots, with Marie Prangley’s Dobby Who, saluting the judge ahead of the gutsy little girl Danish Delight.

Congratulations to all the winning connections and a thank you to all who came along on the day.

Today’s government announcement confirmed that finally the Auckland Regional Border will be open on Wednesday therefore allowing northern chasers to compete at both venues, with participants following the GRNZ on track protocols. It will be great to see our northern greyhound racing community back as one again. It has been a long time coming for us all.

Next Trials – Weds. 15th December commencing 10.00 am.

Next Race Meeting – Sunday 19th December. As per current protoco

Smoothie

Mirko

Black Bridge

RACING WRAP – Sunday 5th December.

Just a seven race programme awaited those of the ‘Manukau Faithful”, who attended our last open AGRC race meeting on Sunday 15th August, a long gap of 112 days.

Although the meeting had restrictions it was great to get back to the track and meet and greet so many friendly faces. Of course, it will not be the complete package until we welcome back our mates from the Waikato, hopefully if the border reopens and the protocols are finalized it will be the meeting scheduled for Sunday 19th December.

We will all for certain enjoy the freedom of movement again.

After a quieter week by their standards the powerful Tracey and Lisa Craik kennel bounced back winning three of the last four races on the programme. For Your Page went one better than his previous start when saluting in the MPS Fencing Sprint, running a PB of 18.67secs. Danish Delight scored her 11th win of her career when finishing strongly to score in the C3/4 527m event.

The icing on their cake came in the last when Portland Wonder raced away to score in the C5 sprint. She and her seven talented litter mates have together won 82 races from their 288 starts, giving them a superb 28,5% winning strike rate.

Archie John Hill is now 4 years of age and has raced successfully at the highest level on many tracks throughout the country. Recently transferring to Hayley Mullane’s kennel he certainly enjoyed being back to the 318m trip at Manukau when winning for the 30th time in his career, therefore moving back to open company again. He will next race with the new Hayley Mullane/ Emma Potts training partnership and without doubt this dedicated pair will be a future force in the northern region.

Breaking his maiden status at just his second start was Thayne Green’s, Blazin’ Bomber- Classy Impact pup, Hurricane Bob. His dam was an evergreen performer, winning 29 races during a race career that spanned over 3 seasons, racing in both NSW and NZ. Blazin’ Bomber is a group race performing litter brother to dual Silver Collar winner Ring the Bell.

Shaun O’Neill has quietly expressed an opinion that Let Em Talk being a son of Bekim Bale will improve with a bit of age. This opinion was justified with him winning his first race over a middle distance trip on Sunday. He may prove to be one to follow in the weeks ahead.

In today’s world of Digital Facial Recognition cameras and other high- tech systems of identification, all are superfluous when it comes to greyhound trainers. Just ask them to name their first winner and what track won on, then simply check the records and you will know if you have the right person.

For Peter Heterick that came on Sunday when his pride and joy Zoe Star, surged away from her rivals to score by an impressive margin. I am sure for Pete the only down side on the day was that his close friends and mentors the Udy family were not on track to share the moment. No doubt they and all of Team Te Kauwhata would have been up on their feet cheering her home. May it be the first of many Peter and the Zenstar Racing team.

Congratulations to all winning connections and a thank you to all who provided the action on the track. A special mention to our popular caterer, Gary Carr and his friendly team who have also had to endure that frustrating 112 day gap. We all look forward to further ease of restrictions and a stadium full of people and special atmosphere it creates.

Trials – Wednesday 8th December commencing at 10.00am. (GRNZ protocols apply)

Next Race Meeting – Sunday 12th December (Red Traffic Light Covid restrictions apply)

Danish Delight

Archie John Hill

Hurricane Bob