Leading Western Districts’ trainer Dennis Barnes attends the annual Grafton carnival every year as a “bit of break” from his hectic schedule, but he always makes a point of chasing the club’s prestigious Maiden series, and he’s poised for more success in 2022.
Barnes has a three in eight chance of winning what would be his third Grafton Maiden Final after qualifying all three of his team for this year’s decider.
The time-honoured event - this year known as the Fair Dinkum Builds CV Sheds Maiden - has for many years been a target of trainers around the State, many setting their youngsters to make their debuts in the series and chase the $15,000 first prize.
Barnes won the Maiden Final back in 2016 with Nangar Range, and backed it up a year later winning with Nangar Warrior.
On Sunday night at Grafton he brought three runners for the heats and came away with two winners and a second, and all three into the July 13 final.
His other winner was Nangar Chief with that dog’s littermate Nangar Rocket (both by Feral Franky out of Little Nangar) finishing second in his heat in what was actually a time faster than his two kennelmates and the second quickest of the eight finalists.
“We come up here every year and we do try to target the Maiden race, but we also come up for a break as well,” Barnes said.
“To have only brought the three up and got them all into the final, I’m tickled pink.
“I’ve been lucky to have won this race twice, but I have tried plenty of times too.
“They all went pretty well tonight, but the one that didn’t win (Nangar Rocket), he’s a fast dog and was a certainty beaten, and ran the second fastest time of the heats.”
Local trainer Evelyn Harris has had a lot of success both at the old, and newly-built Grafton tracks, and she has the fastest qualifier for the final after Lee’s Tiger caused an upset in the opening heat of the Maiden Series.
The son of Sennachie and Black Lee Bonus, a day shy of his second birthday, was making his debut and speared to the lead from box 2 and was never headed winning in a very fast 25.39s, by 1¼ lengths from Nangar Rocket, with Queenslander All Natural a further 1¼ lengths away in third.
Nangar Rocket was slow to move from box 7 being second last early, and really caught the eye running home strongly and taking many lengths off the winner in posting 25.48s in finishing runner-up.
In his heat Nangar Chief jumped well and eventually worked over to the fence but was vigorously challenged in the lead by Terry Millar’s Reel ‘em Bluey.
The pair matched strides swinging for home and, as he was trying to push wider, Nangar Chief was knocked sidewards but regained his composure and did extremely well to hold off Reel ‘em Bluey and win by a half-length in 25.71s.
Nangar Archie was having his fourth race start and finally broke his maiden status, working his way to the lead from box four and having a length to spare over Edge Gambler on the line in 25.96s.
Queenslander Carroway speared to the front from box six in his heat and gave nothing else a chance winning by a stunning 9½ lengths in 25.62s from Oh Reuben with Half Past Tipsy a neck away in third.
Equally impressive was debutante Phantom Jasper - an odds on favourite - who led throughout and was untroubled winning by 4½ lengths from Four Barrys in 25.68s.
Barnes' luck didn't end on the track, it continued at the box draw, with Nagar Archie drawing box 1, Nangar Chief box 2 and Nangar Rocket box 8.
