A Muswellbrook Miracle

By Jeff Collerson
Saint Alice may only have won a 328m maiden in slow time at a non-TAB Muswellbrook meeting last Saturday but to owner-trainer Bradley Sabotic it was nothing less than a miracle.

Saint Alice turned three in April but at Muswellbrook was having only her third start and is now set to become a pet in the Sabotic household.

"She became crippled when she was eight months old and it took 10 months of intensive treatment, physio and TLC before she could walk, let alone run fast enough to win a race,'' Sabotic said.

"The nightmare began one morning when I went out to see her and she could not move her hind legs, while her forelegs were rigid and barely able to function.

"I rushed her to my veterinary surgeon Ted Humphries and he took scans, diagnosing the likely cause being blood clots on her spine.

"Ted designed a special sling for Saint Alice and she was in his care nearly five weeks.

"Gradually she regained feeling in her toes and feet and when I took her home I took things slowly, beginning by walking her down the hall in my house, a 'trip' of five metres, then slowly increasing that distance.

"Eventually she began to take a little run each morning, but she would wobble about like a drunken sailor.

"I was thrilled that she could at least walk so was content to keep this brave little dog as a pet.

"On veterinary advice I spent over 12 months walking her, mostly sideways and backwards, and gradually she was able to gallop freely.

"I decided to let her race after she was able to run as well as her brothers and sisters but now she has won a race I plan to retire her and let her spend the rest of her days in my house.

"And the name? Saint Alice is the patron saint of the paralysed and blind.''

Cowgirl Ethics will be set for the group 1 Peter Mosman Opal heats at WP on July 3 following her slick 22.36 win over 400m at Bulli on Tuesday.

The David Smith-trained bitch has now had six starts for five wins and a second, with her only defeat being when she was run down by Bandit Ned in the group 3 Magic Maiden at WP in late March.

"Cowgirl Ethics ran a first split of 5.34 that night but then got very sick with haemorrhaging on the spine,'' Smith said.

"I brought her back with a couple of 340m wins at Bulli and now she has won over 400m I'll start stepping her back up in distance.''

General Rose - all 43.2kg of him - came from last to win at Albion Park on Monday, taking the record of the giant greyhound nicknamed "Horse" to eight wins from 24 starts.

Imagine a match race between General Rose and GBOTA director Bryan Young's mighty midget, the 22kg Encouraging!


He has done it again. Perennial runner-up King Kinloch notched his 54th second placing at Gosford on Tuesday, adding to his tally of four wins and 29 thirds for a not too shabby $42,375.