VETERAN trainer Graeme Moate has had some bad luck with a few members of his team of late but it was all repaid in full when his promising sprinter Shanlyn Johnno gained a start in a heat of the Hobart Maiden Thousand at Tattersall’s Park inHobartlast Thursday night.
Shanlyn Johnno was the second reserve in the fourth of 12 heats of the series but still looked like missing a start when only one of the main runners was scratched.
But lady luck chimed in when the first reserve suffered an injury and also failed to accept leaving Shanlyn Johnno a starter but from box six.
Despite being a keen railer, Shanlyn Johnno made the most of the opportunity by flying the lids and crossing the field well before reaching the top turn.
Once in front he showed his rivals a clean pair of paws on his way to an effortless 12-3/4 length win over No Damage with Snoring Nora almost two lengths away third.
Shanlyn Johnno (Where’s Pedro-Shanlyn Supreme) had shown Moate something special from the outset but he has been forced to take things slowly due to minor mishaps and illness.
“The dog has shown me something special from day one but we’ve had to bring him along gradually due to illness and little injuries,” Moate said.
“He only had two runs but he suffered tonsillitis and that set him back because he we had to treat him with antibiotics and that took time,” he said.
Shanlyn Johnno sizzled around theHobartcircuit clocking 26.30 seconds over the 461-metre trip which was clearly the fastest of the 12 heat winners.
Another impressive heat winner was the Rod Ransley-trained bitch Lady Eve (Brett Lee-Lilly Eve) that scored by almost three lengths on her way to clocking 26.39s.
It was her first start but she looked like a seasoned professional in the run.
The Raquel MacDonald-owned bitch began well from box seven and ran hard in a straight line to the 340-metre boxes where she made her way down to the fence.
She held a slender lead turning for home but extended the margin in the run to the line.
Lady Eve scored by almost three lengths from Roma Vista with take Up Maggie over seven lengths astern.
Ransley also prepared Lily Rocket that made her way to the semi-finals with an emphatic win in her heat.
The litter sister to Lady Eve began fairly from box one but mustered speed quickly and put the end result beyond doubt by the time she reached the home turn when she had her momentum up and stretched her lead to three lengths.
She maintained that advantage and hit the line almost three lengths clear of Nooee’s Lad with Run Jetta Run a length astern.
Lady Eve stopped the clock at 26.51 but will no doubt improve on that in her semi-final on Thursday night.
Loretta Luttrell also prepared two heat winners in Street Talk (Talk’s Cheap-Card Shark) and Maurie Baba (Talk’s Cheap-Becky Baba).
Street Talk began well from box three and shared the lead turning for home but he asserted his superiority over the concluding stages to go on and score by almost two lengths from first starter Dream Choice (Ted Medhurst) that shared the lead and had a length advantage nearing the home turn.
Another first starter Mighty Serious (Eileen Thomas) ran on well from well back but was eight lengths away third.
Street Talk hit the lien strongly and in a time of 26.62.
Maurie Baba ($10.60) was a surprise winner but he won with some authority, albeit in a very modest time of 26.94.
As the first reserve he left well from box four and ran a straight line to the top turn in pursuit of Dilston Nugget that had two lengths on him turning for home.
But in the run to the line Maurie Baba dug deep and hit the line a length clear of Dilston Nugget with first-starter Action Bolt 1-1/2 lengths astern.
Ï was very happy with Street Talk’s win and I think he can go on and win his chare of races,” Luttrell said.
“Maurie Baba was a bit of a surprise win and while his time wasn’t anywhere near as good as Street Talk’s I think he has a future.”
“I was pleasantly surprised with how Maurie Baba finished his race off and hopefully he can go on with it in his semi-final next week,” she said.
Mick Stringer is a trainer not unfamiliar with winning feature races and his promising dog Yappin‘ Jack may have what it takes to win this series.
Yappin‘ Jack made the most of box two by beginning well and hunting through to share the lead to the top turn.
But in the home straight he raced clear and went on to score by two lengths from Dilston Tinka with Cosmic Secret over three lengths away third.
Yappin‘ Jack (Aston Gallilee-Patsy Anne) showed good box manners and early speed so those attributes should home him in good stead for his next assignment on Thursday knight.
Yappin‘ Jack’s litter brother Hindsight also made it into the semi-finals with an impressive heart win.
Hindsight began with them from box six then matched motors with eventual runner-up Wyburn Token (8) to the top turn..
They continued their battle in the homer straight with Hindsight emerging triumphant by a length in a time of 26.73s.
Former Victorian trainer Richard Post moved toTasmaniaa few years ago and while he only has one or two dogs in work at any one time these days he may have theHobartmaiden Thousand winner in his midst in the form of Bain’s Lane that was impressive in winning his heat.
Bain’s Lane (Bit Chill-Wooreddy) showed brilliant early speed to lead from box five and gave nothing else a chance on his way to an impressive four-length win over Tic Tac Thomas with Ukulele Rocket two lengths astern.
Bain’s Lane went into his heat on the back of a win and one minor placing from his three previous starts.
“I don’t have too many in the kennels these days but I’m very happy to have this dog,” Post said.
Bain’s Lane is owned by his breeder Barry Heawood who races him in partnership with theIslandsyndicate.
Post said Bain’s Lane had shown potential during the breaking in process.
“David Crosswell and I broke this dog in and he showed a bit at a very early stage and that’s how I ended up training him,” he said.
Post began training greyhounds over 20 years ago inVictoriaand when he first arrived inTasmaniaabout seven years ago he had a small team of dogs but he says they couldn’t measure up so he whittled the team down to no more than one or two at any one time.
Nicole Howard has lone been one ofTasmania’s better trainers and she has a genuine contender in Gaelic Glory that won his heat.
Gaelic Glory only scored by a neck from Havelock Chief but it was the way he went about gunning that dog down that impressed most.
Havelock Chief kicked clear in the home turn and looked to have the race in his keeping but Gaelic Glory refused to lie down and eventually ground the leader down to score by a neck.,
The slowest heat winner was Jamella Miss from the Scott Fenton kennel in a time of 27.06 but the Premier Fantasy bitch can improve dramatically on that time in her semi-final.
She began well from box six and had a battle withFranklinSun to the top turn.
But she ran very wide turning for home and dropped back to third only to rally and go on and score narrowly from Ocean’s Twelve and Gee Wiz Gran.
Booze Anthony made his way into the semi-final stage with an emphatic heat win.
The Joe Pringle-trained dog showed good early speed from box eight to lead the field at the top turn and when he crossed to the rail he sped clear and went on to score by 10 lengths from Stylish Phil with Knocka Lefty a close-up third.
It probably would be a feature race series without top trainer Ted Medhurst preparing at least one winner in the heats.
But Medhurst had to wait until the last heat (12) for Direct Sonic to avoid an anomaly.
Direct Sonic (Cosmic Rumble-Wongawillicath) stepped well from box two and had enough speed to hold the lead to the top turn.
In the home straight he left his rivals in his wake and went on to win by six lengths from lashing Rose with Take Up Ben three lengths away.
The first five placegetters in each of the 12 heats and the four fastest sixths progressed to the semi-finals.
Each semi-final winner (x8) will progress to the final on January 24.