Let Him Cook delivers in Colin Keen Memorial
Let Him Cook was too good in the Group 2 Colin Keen Memorial at Ascot Park on Thursday. Photo credit: Dave Robbie.
It was an afternoon of remembrance for the Otago Greyhound Racing Club at Ascot Park on Thursday afternoon, with two feature races staged in honour of two men who had a major influence on the Club over many years.
The $20,000 Colin Keen Memorial and the $10,000 Mark Thompson Memorial Dunedin Cup were both won by a pair of promising, up and coming greyhounds.
Colin Keen was an integral part of the southern greyhound racing scene for many, many years. He was actively involved in local administration, which extended to national level when representing the South Island as their GRNZ Board member.
The Matt Roberts-prepared Let Him Cook claimed his biggest career win when he delivered a strong pace-making performance to easily win the Colin Keen Memorial, clocking 25.72 when taking out the Group 2 457m event by a comfortable 3.25 length margin.
It was the favoured pair of Garry Cleeve-bred and trained Mepunga Blazer-Classy Witch littermates who contested the minor placings, with Who’s Jealous leading home Charley Horse by half a length.
“I was really pleased with him. He had some luck in the way the field panned out for him perfectly, being able to scoot around them from the seven-trap.
“He always had ability, so it was good to see him put it all together,” said Roberts, who said that he will keep Let Him Cook ticking over with the rescheduled Canterbury Futurity being his main target.
Let Him Cook is a member of the Hooked On Scotch and Gracias Maestro litter, and is raced by Steve Hurd. He has now won 13 of his 30 races, and a further eight minor placings now sees his stake earning tally sitting at $46,358.
“Steve bred the litter, with Gracias Maestro being a pet with his grandmother. I whelped, reared and broke the litter in, with Let Him Cook being the best of them. The others include some handy dogs,” advised Roberts.
Roberts also added that his Duke of Edinburgh Silver Collar winner and the new Manawatu 37.59 660m track record holder Chief Dribble is firmly on target for next Thursday’s Shandell Distance feature 747m event at Cambridge
“Yes, he blew them away in both of his races up north, handling himself brilliantly. He’s all set to back up there next week.”
Wild Pansy was victorious in the Mark Thompson Memorial Dunedin Cup. Photo credit: Dave Robbie.
Mark Thompson served on the Otago GRC committee and was a popular attendee at Forbury Park-hosted greyhound and harness meetings over numerous years.
He organised greyhound syndicates from his local St Kilda pub, including the 2018 Dunedin Cup winner Must Be Rusty, who was trained for him by John McInerney. Therefore, it is entirely appropriate that he is remembered annually with the Dunedin Cup now being his memorial race.
Wild Pansy swooped around the outer after leaping from the eight-trap, and in doing so, the Dave and Jean Fahey-bred, owned and trained daughter of Mepunga Blazer and Isavana built the winning break in the 390m Mark Thompson Memorial Dunedin Cup, recording her 20th win from 37 races, advancing her career earnings up to $53,497.
She had enough in reserve to lead home the Craig Roberts-prepared Caterpie Bale by three-quarters of a length, clocking the meet best 390m 22.26.
It was huge efforts by the minor placegetters, including the Malcolm Grant-trained third placed Smash Ready, after both of them bombed the race start.
“I was pleased when she jumped, which won her the race. We will keep her ticking over, with perhaps the Galaxy being a long-term target for her,” advised Dave Fahey.
He added, “We sold a number of the pups from the litter, but kept Wild Pansy as she had a hole in the roof of her mouth when she was a pup. She had a number of operations back then, and she has since repaid us.”
Isavana is a prolific winning broodbitch and there was further success later in the evening for the Mepunga Blazer litter, as Old School strongly won the Cambridge C4/5 457m event for his trainer Corey Steele.
“Yes, Isavana has been a marvellous broodbitch for us. She has eight pups with us by Whisky Riot who are now six months old.
“And there’s another four pups who have yet to race from her Aussie Infrared litter. The litter is really pleasing us, with a number of the dogs being successful in 520m races,” explained Fahey.
Warm favourites Jerry Cola and Sun Strike were litter members who stylishly won on Thursday, with Jerry Cola delivering the meet best 25.57 457m time in a C1 race!
By Peter Fenemor
