Postman Pat has developed a strong following in both New Zealand and Australia. Photo credit: Dave Robbie.
Postman Pat has developed a strong following in both New Zealand and Australia. Photo credit: Dave Robbie.
By Peter Fenemor
Sublime racing was witnessed at the world’s southern-most located greyhound track Ascot Park during last Friday’s premier meeting.
Two track records, combined with Postman Pat’s audacious victory in the $20,000 Group 2 Far South Challenge, was the cream on top of numerous quality performances.
The pink racing vest worn by the Tony Hart-prepared Postman Pat was one of the last sighted when the 457m traps lifted. Unfazed, he powered up, displaying great second phase acceleration to contest the pace when heading into the big, sweeping turn.
The son of Hooked On Scotch and Birdie Tee then courageously shouldered the multiple Group race winner Opawa Superstar out of his racing passage, from where he set sail for the judge.
Postman Pat was in cruise control during the run home, building a 3.25 length margin over the strong finishing Riley Evans-trained Goldstar Carlito, who delivered the race of his career to claim the runners-up prize.
Opawa Superstar balanced up to finish stoutly for his third placing, a further 1.25 lengths behind for his conditioners Dave and Jean Fahey.
Postman Pat was the punters elect for the event, following his potent 25.49 track record-breaking 457m heat win. On this occasion, he stopped the clock in 25.70, and in doing so, he provided Hart with back-to-back Far South Challenge training successes after Charlotte Lu prevailed for him last year. She was luckless in this edition.
“Bloody awesome – he went massive. To give away a start to a field like that, then smoke around them like he did, was amazing,” express Hart.
“Postman Pat is quickly building himself a cult following on both sides of the Tasman, helped by commentaries that racecaller Justin Evans delivered when calling the finish – “Postman Pat, the fastest postie in town blows them away.”
“It was amazing after the race, with heaps of people asking to have their photo taken with Postman Pat. He’s such a cool dude who is as happy as a sand-boy. He just wants to race,” advised Hart about the winner of nine of his 11 races.
The Jose Arthur-owned Postman Pat is now being targeted towards the Group 2 Waikato Classic (heats January 5), where northern region racegoers will get their first glimpse of him at the Cambridge Raceway.
$20,000 Group 2 Galway Cup
Champion stayer Know Keeper is making it a healthy habit of collecting staying track records. He added another record to his CV, when, after a brief paw-wrestle, he came away to comfortably add the Group 2 Galway Cup over 732m to his collection of Group races victories, and in doing so, he defended the title he won last season.
The Garry Cleeve-trained son of Know Class and Know Jinx bounded straight into the race lead and while he was pressured during the race, he was decisive in the strong manner that he fobbed off the challenges to reach the judge in a slick 42.82, a new Ascot Park 732m track record. The record was previously held by Go Belle at 42.98, set in May 2019.
The consistent Dave and Jean Fahey-prepared stayer Centurion led home the balance of the field, a further 6.5 lengths behind.
Know Keeper made it back-to-back victories in the Group 2 Galway Cup. Photo credit: Dave Robbie.
Know Keeper was pursued down the back straight by the Craig Roberts-trained Rohan Bale and the former Victorian stayer closed rapidly on Know Keeper when entering the final turn. It was a strong indication that Rohan Bale is certainly going to add a degree of spice to forthcoming staying feature events.
“I guess the old boy has still got it,” chuckled Cleeve. “It’s unexpected to go out in a Group race and break a track record. That’s a huge bonus and it is a huge thrill that Kev (kennel name) did it for the kennel again.
“Fortunately, Kev did everything right from the start and he needed to as Rohan Bale came really strongly at us. It nice to turn the table on Rohan Bale after he beat Kev in his previous 645m race (Addington).
“It is good for racing – in the past, everyone tried to dodge Kev, and now we have competitive staying races,” added Cleeve about the stayer he co-owns with his partner Gaylene Turnwald. He is now the winner of $294,762, the result of 39 wins and 24 placings from his 76 raceday assignments.
Know Keeper will now head north for the January 12 running of the $15,000 Thrilling Brat Distance feature over 747m, where he will resume his encounters with his recent staying nemesis Thrilling Rogue from the Karen Walsh kennels.
Roberts also plans to take Rohan Bale north, as he explains. “I’m confident Rohan Bale can beat Know Keeper. He went to him and if he had got underneath him, it would have been very interesting,” advised Roberts, who confirmed that his stayer will also be sighted in the Cambridge 747m feature.
$15,000 Ascot Park Tri-Code Facility Sprint
Cawbourne Carty has always been a swift greyhound and he stylishly illustrated that when the Craig Roberts-trained chaser became the first sprinter to crack the Ascot Park 390m 22 second barrier.
He flew over the sprint in 21.92, lowering the previous 390m best clock posted by Wheelchair Norm at 22.08.
The track record was on from trap-rise, with Cawbourne Carty pinging away from trap-five to secure the rails racing passage. He was joined on his outer by his kennelmate and race favourite Levi Bale.
Cawbourne Carty broke the 390m track record at Ascot Park last Friday. Photo credit: Dave Robbie.
Cawbourne Carty maintained his powerful sprint to easily hold out a game Levi Bale by a 2.5-length margin. Pressing on stoutly to claim third was the locally Brett Conner-trained Buster’s Brother, another 5.75 lengths astern.
“Cawbourne Carty jumped and didn’t get any interference – I knew then that it was going to be a great time. He had a strong sprinter behind him (Levi Bale) and he was never going to be caught – Carty was flying,” said Roberts.
“Both of them will go up to Cambridge this Saturday, with Cawbourne Carty to race over 457m. He has broken 26 seconds over 457m (25.80) at Ascot Park and as he’s restricted age, safely through that, he will return for the Waikato Classic heats. Levi Bale will contest a 375m sprint up there,” advised Roberts.
And both of the Saturday Cambridge 457m and 375m fields have drawn exceptionally strong line-ups, with the depth of the 457m event being Group 1 quality.
