Rehmann Hoping For Some Early Luck In John Gray Final
This Thursday night at Angle Park will see the running of the 2023 edition of the grade 5 John Gray series, which carries a cool $10,000 first prize cheque.
Six fantastic heats were run last week, with the fastest qualifier being It’s Smudgy, who won last year's edition and will be aiming to make it back to back wins for the series, which would be quite unique given the grade 5 qualifying conditions for the race. The rising three year old won her heat in a slick 30.46, but will have her work cut out having drawn box eight for the final.
Another heat winner was Razzle Darryl, who is trained by Paul Rehmann and joined his care a few months ago after being purchased by his owner Becc Weinert.
Since joining the care of Rehmann, Razzle Darryl has been a model of consistency, having displayed a strong level of form for some time now. After having a mountain of poor luck in recent runs, things came good for the white and black dog last week, when he dealt with box eight professionally and won strongly in 30.64. Rehmann will be hoping that a good draw in box two can see the chaser have some good luck, which is always crucial in big finals.
“That dog could get run off in a solo trial!” quipped Rehmann
“He’s got to be the unluckiest dog, nearly every run I could not pick one thing he did wrong. When he takes the option it’s the right option and then it ends up becoming the wrong option through no fault of his own. He gives 110% every single time that dog.”
“He’s not a dog that wants a lot of training, the more I am getting to know him, he likes a fairly easy week and then saves it up for the race. I think you only flatten him as you push him too hard.”
“I’m pretty happy with the draw. He’s definitely a (box) one, two, three dog. Last time he had box two he went 30.55, which I would take right now, if that’s quick enough or not I don't know, but I would take it!”
“There's about four dogs where if they get the right run then they have claims. I have a lot of respect for the good dogs in that field, but I think I am right in it. If I can hold near the front from box two and just get a clear run to the first turn then I have as good a chance as they’ve got.
It was a difficult start to the career for one of the most talented dogs in the state, with the Tania Foster trained My Mate Snow not showing his true ability early days.
The Token Mclaren x Claretown Belle 20’ whelping has always possessed incredible ability, which is well known to many but was struggling to show that on race day.
Things have seemingly clicked for the fawn and brindle dog, with two excellent and improved efforts in his last two starts. After running a close and unlucky second two starts ago, where he should have won, he went one better last week and won brilliantly, in a flying 42.73 which is not too far away from the track record of 42.47, currently held by Fantastic Radley.
It will be the toughest test yet on Thursday night, when he comes up against the classy and in form Beck’s Monelli over the 730m journey, in a race that will have many eyes tuned in. My Mate Snow will need to repeat his effort from last week, having drawn box eight for the race.
“People have been bagging him, I don’t know why! He’s a young dog, he's had 17 starts now so he’s just very inexperienced and has been learning his trade.” said Foster
“We didn’t want to lose him, he was getting a bit bashed around in the ‘500s’, so we thought if it’s going to be his caper then we will step him up quicksmart.”
“He’s just had to learn, he won his maiden, then he won his grade 6 and he’s been learning ever since.”
“He showed us early on (his ability), he had a couple of really nice ‘500’ trials, then he had a ‘600’ trial which was quick. We just thought that ‘700’ is going to be his go. It hasn’t really surprised us. We’ve just been trying to nurture him along because we knew what was in there.”
“He’s still learning and he hasn’t handled it well before when he’s had it (box 8). Who knows, he might have just taken another step and if he begins again then it won’t worry him being out there. In a couple of those recent runs he’s just been hampered for a bit of room as he is hitting top speed, which has just thrown him. It just depends what happens, if they’re fanning out on him on the first turn, or if he begins again. Who knows, it will be interesting!”
Gavin Harris always has a nice pup coming through his kennel and on Thursday will unveil a first starter in the form of Springvale Bonni (Kinloch Brae x Bonnie Beauty).
When she steps out from box four in the maiden of the night, it will continue the ‘Springvale’ name which has been the prefix for a host of talented chasers.
It is slightly unusual the breeding for Harris, with the dam Bonnie Beauty not being his own. He acquired the pup through an advertisement online, with Harris taken by the dams ability to run over the distance.
“Peter Gavin had some pups advertised on Facebook, I liked the look of her, I looked up the mother and she had run 29.75 at the Meadows, won over the ‘600’ and won over the ‘700’, I thought it sounds like the kind of dog I want!” exclaimed Harris
“Wally Harkins was going over there at the time when he was going over with Sir Truculent and he was staying there. Out of the three bitches for sale she was the one I liked, but I got Wally to pick out what he thought was the best of the three and he picked her as well, so I bought her.”
“She’s no star though, she’s run 31.07 and comes home in 12.82, that type of thing. In a race she might go a bit better.”
Harris will have two chasers in the maiden, with Cleo Jinx to come out of box two, after debuting on Monday night over the short trip.”
“She (Springvale Bonni) normally beats Cleo, so I would say she would win, at least out of the two of them, I don’t know about the rest!”
Harris will later rug up his kennel star in Springvale Max for the John Gray final, who has drawn poorly again with box five.
It was a good win in the heat from Springvale Max, albeit he did have some good luck in getting to his favourite spot on the rail.
“It was okay (the heat run), he did well to get to the rail the way he did. I thought he ran okay.”
“It’s all about him getting to the rail, from box five it’s obviously not easy but sometimes things work out for him and he finds a way to get through. There are some good dogs in the race.”
Racing will start at 6:40pm local time on Thursday.
Best Bet: Elegant Ritzy (Race 3, Number 1)
Value Bet: Panorama (Race 7, Number 1)