THREE months ago greyhound trainer Graeme Moate was preparing winners on a regular basis but we all know that in the racing game your bout of bad luck is just around the corner.
In late October Moate’s smart sprinter Shanlyn Betty was on the end of a five-win streak and looking likely to rapidly win her way to top grade when she was bitten by a snake while free galloping at the Brighton training track.
She didn’t survive the snake bite and since then Moate’s kennel has been in the doldrums.
That is until last night (Thursday) when his talented bitch Princess Zara scored an emphatic win in Select Moonah Stake, a grade four event over 461 metres.
Princess Zara was having her first start since suffering toe injuries to both front feet as a result of a mishap with a lure arm at the end of a race in late October last year.
Moate was eagerly awaiting her return to racing and he wasn’t disappointed.
Princess Zara began well from box eight while Rockvel crashed down to the rail from box seven to give Moate’s bitch a clear path to the top turn.
Rockvel looked to be travelling like the winner as they wheeled into the home straight but Princess Zara knuckled down to her task and she forged clear and went on to defeat Rockvel by almost five lengths with Woodleigh Doll 5-1/2 lengths away third.
Princess Zara stopped the clock at 26.50 which was a fair effort on a track that was not conductive to quick times on the night.
“I was very pleased when she drew box eight and we had Rockvel on her inside because that dog is a keen railer and it panned out as we thought,” Moate said.
“I had taken my time getting her back to the race because the injuries needed time to overcome.”
“She tore a ligament in her toe on the right foot and one on the inside of her left foot.”
“I sought advice on treatment and that included the removal of the joint but I opted to persevere with manipulation, massage and laser treatments and it paid off,” he said.
Princess Zara has won two of her 10 starts in Tasmania and she also won once (on debut) for her owner Suzanne Colubriale who has been sending dogs to Moate for years.
“I trained this bitch’s mother Zealous Zoe (x Lilli Pilli Lad) and she was all class winning 10 of her 28 starts in Tassie,” Moate said.
There were a lot of positives to come out of Princess Zara’s winning return.
“It was great to see her back at the track because she just loves racing but the $7 fixed odds was brilliant,” he said.
Princess Zara started at $5 fixed and $5.10 on the Tote.