Ayres aims up for another whirlwind weekend

By Isaac Murphy

It’s a long way from the Glass House Mountains to Wentworth Park, onto Gunnedah and back.

It's 2200 kilometres to be exact, but trainer Bob Ayres said it was worth every one of them.

Star bitch Boscono scored at Wentworth Park Saturday night, before Lucky Lance won his heat of the Chief Havoc Gunnedah Cup on Sunday night, and the trainer will look to repeat the dose this weekend.

“I knew both of them would be up to their respective tasks if was just a matter of presenting them in good shape which isn’t the easiest thing to do given the logistics of the trip,” Ayres said.

“Somehow we pulled it off and everything feel into place; Boscono was outstanding on Saturday night at Wentworth Park and Lucky Lance was probably even more brilliant in his Gunnedah Cup heat Sunday.

“Given their results, we’ll be back at it next weekend and hope for a similar outcome.

"It’s not something as a kennel we can afford to be doing every fortnight, but it was bloody satisfying to pull it off.”

Boscono has long been the backbone of Ayres' boutique kennel, and the bitch made her 21st win a special one putting a gap in them at Wentworth Park.

“I knew Boscono would be right up to the level in her Masters at Wentworth Park, it was just her draw in the seven I wasn’t sure where she’d get to, and she surprised even me when she sailed straight to the front,” Ayres said.

“She extended her perfect first up record; Casino, Bundaberg, Capalaba, Maitland and now Wentworth Park - she’s shown up and delivered without a look.

“All the trainers and staff were very good to me down there, but I had a few rivals asking me how often I was going to be coming back after she won in 30.06, they were relieved when I said I’d be back for the Masters one next week and that’d probably be it.”

It was Ayres' first visit to New South Wales headquarters of racing as a trainer and he made sure to soak it all in.

“I was overawed by the people in the stands and the facilities at Wentworth Park, it was just a standard night of racing for them, but what an experience for me,” he said.

“I was walking the bitch out to race and looking around like a tourist at the same time, I’m lucky the bitch had her mind on the job because I was all over the place.

“She goes up into a harder Masters grade next week, it’ll be interesting to see if Sunburnt Highway is racing who’s won almost 30 times around there and runs 29.8 - that’ll give us a proper test.”

Ayres was on the move again early Sunday morning to get the exciting Lucky Lance ready for his Gunnedah Cup heat, and the youngster showed no ill effects from the long hours in the car.

“I made my way out to Gunnedah which is about 320 kilometres from Newcastle where I was staying, got Lucky Lance in the kennels ready to race that night,” Ayres said.

“I couldn’t have been happier with how he performed, he didn’t nail the jump but having the red rug and being a mad railer he used it to his advantage drove to the lead and didn’t look like being beaten.

“If there has ever been an area of vulnerability with him it’s been his run home, but over the 527 metres there he just kept going away from them and ran about three-tenths quicker than the next fastest heat winner.”

Lance’s preparation was spot on but he’s going to have plenty of company vying for his first feature win this Sunday.

“It was a confidence booster for me and the dog to see him put in a run like that, but he’s going to have plenty of competition in the Final,” Ayres said.

“Mercator Bell - the first heat winner - came out last and circled the field to win, Brea Casey who ran second in our heat also came from the back and then we’ve got our fellow Queenslander It’s A Rush who had nothing go his way but still qualified for the Bowes.

“The Cup is named after Chief Havoc who was a dog born out a Gunnedah, he went unbeaten through his career and raced between 300-800 yards - what an honour it would be to win a race named after him.”

Ayres was greeted with open arms at Gunnedah and loved the contrast of city racing to a country cup, the trainer ratting the weekend as one he won’t forget.

“It was a very different experience at Gunnedah compared to Wentworth Park but just as fulfilling, I was greeted by the Club president who let me know all the procedures and told me Lucky Lance and Boscono were more than welcome to stay in the club kennels overnight,” he said.

“I went and picked them up Monday morning and they were nice and toasty with a good night’s rest in them ready for the drive home.

“I don’t think I’ve had a more enjoyable weekend as a greyhound trainer; from the way they both ran, to soaking in city and country racing it was a ripper - I just hope we can do it all again this week."