Feature races in the Northern Rivers district in New South Wales are usually comprised of an abundance of locally trained greyhounds.
Home track knowledge around tracks such as Lismore, Casino and Grafton is worth plenty. Surprisingly, there is not one local in next Tuesday night’s group 2 Lismore Workers Club Lismore Cup final.
Four heats were run last night, in which seven Queenslanders and one dog from Sydney ran first and second to fill the field for the $40,000 to the winner final.
Reg Kay produced the quickest winner when Ima Geisha Girl clocked 29.81 seconds for the 520 metres Cup course.
Ima Geisha Girl is following a similar trail to Kay’s Gold Coast Cup winner, Don’t Knocka Him. Originally with Kay at his Lowood kennel, Jason Thomspon prepared Ima Geisha Girl for a string of outstanding wins in Victoria. Now she is back with Kay for the time being.
Ima Geisha Girl beat the Ron Ball trained Ozo Good.
Ryan Ayre won heats with Bogie King and Bogie Magic. Dual Derby winner Bogie King scored in 30.19, beating Young Snozz from the Jason Mackay kennel near Sydney.
Bogie Magic has come a long way in a short time. He won the Mick Byrne fifth grade final at Albion Park in June this year and is now through to a group two final. Bogie Magic beat Ned Snow’s Run Bolt Run in 30.12.
Reg Hazelgrove completed the clean sweep in the heats for Queensland when Wise Forecast (pictured winning at Ipswich) led all the way from box two, clocking 30.09. Ron Ball’s Cakes and Pies ran on well for second to give Ball, like Ryan Ayre, two finalists.
Hazelgrove won the Lismore Cup final in 2008 with Whirly Storm, who is the dam of Wise Forecast (by Bombastic Shiraz).
The box draw for next Tuesday night’s Cup final is: 1 Ozo Good, 2 Young Snozz, 3 Bogie King, 4 Bogie Magic, 5 Run Bolt Run, 6 Cakes and Pies, 7 Wise Forecast, 8 Ima Geisha Girl, Reserves: 9 Cold Fusion, 10 Never Talk.
Story by Paul Dolan, photo by Rick O'Donnell.
