Amelia's Near Miracle

By Jeff Collerson
Three weeks earlier she had only just managed to complete the course in a 520m race at Wentworth Park but trainer Jason Magri achieved a near miracle to produce Our Amelia for a 10 lengths win in the fastest time of the night there on Saturday.

Our Amelia began brilliantly from box seven and led throughout for a hollow 520m win in 29.71, notching her fourth Wentworth Park win from her past six appearances.

On May 28 Our Amelia (pictured) found trouble at the first turn and again on the back straight before being tailed off a long last.

But before Saturday night's race trainer Jason Magri said an interview on thedogs.com.au: "She is as good as gold again and since the May 28 race she has trialled as well as she has ever gone.''


Saturday night's second quickest time was posted by the marvelously consistent Coast Model, who shrugged off another unsuitable box eight draw to lead throughout in the 520m Free-For-All in 29.84.

It was the JODIE Lord-trained bitch's 13th win in 35 Wentworth Park outings but only her second success in 10 outings from box eight.

Coast Model wants an inside draw but on Saturday night she began smartly and clocked a quick first split of 5.46 to lead at the winning post with a lap to go.


Training honours on Saturday were with John and Minnie Finn, with the husband and wife training team landing the trifecta in a 520m fifth grade.

Not only did the Finns train all three placegetters, but they notched the trifecta with members of the same litter, Zipping Lyris, Zipping Daria and Zipping Wilbur.

Zipping Daria jumped in front but was headed at the first turn by her litter sister Zipping Lyris, who came away to score by one-and-a-half lengths in a nippy 30.07, with their litter brother and kennelmate Zipping Wilbur just under three lengths back in third place.

It was Zipping Lyris' first Wentworth Park win but Minnie Finn said: "She has been the quickest in the litter from day one.''


Red Hot Mouse surprised even trainer Hank Vanderburg with her determined head win over pacemaker Majestic Legend in 30.24 in a 520m fifth grade on Saturday.

Red Hot Mouse had not been over 520m for two months after appearing to go amiss on the home turn when fourth at Wentworth Park on April 20.

"After that race she looked sore but an X-ray showed no damage to the leg I was concerned about,'' Vanderburg said.

"So I put her into the paddock for a while and when she started tearing around again I knew she was all right.

"I gave her two gallops up the straight then put her in a couple of 401m races at Richmond because she wasn't ready to go 520m.

"She won the second of those short course races so I decided to nominate her for Wentworth Park tonight, hoping she might find a weak race.

"When she drew box seven in a particularly strong fifth grade I gave her little hope so she really surprised me and I was rapt in the way she stuck to the leader Majestic Legend all the way and then poked her nose in front at the finish.''

Devil Dodger, winner of last week's $40,000 to the winner Chief Havoc Cup at Gunnedah, notched his eighth win in 23 starts by leading throughout in Saturday's opening event, a 520m fifth grade.

Devil Dodger recorded his fastest Wentworth Park time of 29.98, and after the race trainer Tanya Niewendyk said: "My partner Glenn Starr and I regret this dog wasn't in Friday night's Richmond Derby heats.

"Only reason he wasn't in them was because of the dog's commitments at Gunnedah on June 5 and 12 we didn't have time to trial him at Richmond.

"We didn't want to put him in the Derby without having had a look at the track so we came back to Wentworth Park.''