New Connections Feeling Numb

By Jeff Collerson
Numb made it three starts for three wins for her new owner Paul Bunyan and trainer Steve Fairbairn when she led all the way for a five lengths win in a 520m fifth grade on Saturday night.

Numb winning at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.


Numb clocked a nippy 29.94 and after the race Bunyan said: "I bought her earlier this year for $15,000 as a breeding proposition.

"She is from Dennis Barnes' breeding line and I felt she was good value for breeding alone.

"Numb won first-up for me at Nowra on February 12 and again there a week later so she has already repaid $14,000 of her purchase price.

"Box eight was happier for me tonight than the last time I had a dog in box eight at Wentworth Park.

"I owned the Jimmy Madigan-trained Bright Ebony who was hot favourite for the 2001 Paws Of Thunder after clocking a record first split of 5.26 in his heat.

"But Suellen Bale won the final.''

Hooked On Fame continued his love affair with Wentworth Park when he led throughout in a personal best 29.72 in another 520m fifth grade on Saturday.

The Fred Shoobert-trained dog won easily and took his recent Wentworth Park tally to two wins and a second from his past four starts.


Hush Hush surprised even trainer Sam Sultana when he ran down long odds on favourite Fire Lighter to win a 520m fifth grade in 29.83.

"Having box one made a difference because that was the first time Hush Hush had drawn the rails and all but two of his previous eight races have been from boxes four to eight,'' Sultana said.

"When Fire Lighter led I wasn't confident Hush Hush would be able to run him down.''

Mick Lill, whose wife Michelle owns and trains Colonial Custard, predicted a bright future for that dog after he led all the way to win Saturday's Maitland To WP Final in 30.05.

"He can only get better,'' Mick Lill said later.

"Colonial Custard is a nice dog and is pretty reliable beginner but I also like the way he got to the line tonight.

"When Dave Irwin's dog Nangar Express was sitting on our dog's hammer on the back straight I thought he would beat us.''


Topper Bloom had such a bad accident as a puppy owner-trainer-breeder Frances Harris did not intend to race her she got to the track and on Saturday scored her first Wentworth Park win.

Topper Bloom led all the way to win a 520m fifth grade in 30.08, while her litter brother Topper Tszyu led on the home turn when beaten a neck into second place in a later race.

Harris' pair were the only members of the first litter whelped by her former handy bitch Topper Phoenix to Whiskey Riot.

"Topper Phoenix has since had a litter of 10 pups to Feral Franky,'' Harris said.

Training honours on Saturday went to David Smith, who won with Got The Feature in 29.99 and Sirius Thinking in 30.48.