Javens jump to 600 a roaring success for Russell

By Isaac Murphy

Saturday night Fourth Grade races over the 630 metres at Ipswich are a rarity, but when they do come then so do the quality dogs, including Darren Russell’s Javens.

The bitch has had the best month of her career after winning the Col Harris Series and has carried that form right through, now looking a big threat to make it three from three at the track and trip this Saturday night.

“We were looking to step her up a bit earlier but she’d had a few hock issues, so we just decided to hold her back and get that under control, and then we saw the Col Harris Series coming and thought it was the right time,” Russell said.

“She’s always been a bit tardy out of the boxes over the 500, so stepping up to the 630 against similarly graded dogs was always going to help her, she was suddenly landing just behind the speed and turning it on mid-race and they couldn’t go with her.

“I don’t see her going much further than the 630 metres at Ipswich as I think that’s right on her limit, but you can have plenty of success with middle-distance dogs these days and I think we’ll have a bit of fun with her.”

There’s no more restricted grade for the chaser who tackles open company Saturday night, and she’ll have to overcome a couple of good ones if she wants to keep her record intact.

“It’s great to have a Fourth Grade race back at Ipswich on a Saturday night, you don’t get them very often and she finds it in form and not having lost at the track and trip,” Russell said.

“That said, it’s a hot field and she’s drawn a pretty ordinary box in the seven; she’s going to have her work cut out chasing Frieda Las Vegas and Mahogany Row in the one and two.

“I think they’re the clear dangers, Frieda Las Vegas finally draws a box and if she gets away well will be hard to run down, but she hasn’t seen the 630 yet.

“Mahogany Row is a dog who has and will be hitting the line strong - the jump is critical for us.”

Javens always showed promise over the 500 metres but struggled to string races together, a problem she’s not having since making the jump.

“The results have continued post Col Harris Series, it’s another step up in class going to the 600 at Albion to race and she hasn’t been out of the placings in four attempts and got rewarded with a win last start - she’s very honest,” Russell said.

“She was lacking that consistency over the 520 metres, she could run a race on her day but had to have all the breaks go her way, over the extra distance with her mid-race motor even if she finds trouble early she’ll chase hard and recover.”

Javens is the progeny of hot sire KC And All and She’s Scandalous, and the blossoming stayer isn’t the only bitch Russell is excited about, with Oski winning her first five starts and placed in the Group 3 Fly Amy before injury struck.

“The owner Rodney Duff did a deal with the breeder, he sent him the KC And All straw and in return we got two bitches which turned out to be Javens and Oski, who have turned into a couple of really handy ones,” he said.

“Oski’s been doing some work up the straight at home, we’ll probably look at getting her back to the track in the next fortnight and fingers crossed she holds up injury wise because I think she’s a potential Group bitch.”

Not short on long distance options in the kennel, Cool Talk also looks to be on her way to the top of Queensland’s staying ranks.

“The step up has been good for her, she’s got a bit of confidence about herself now in the run where she may have been a tad timid beforehand,” Russell said.

“She’s chasing and weaving her way between dogs nicely and coming along like a good stayer.

“She had a little bit of a hiccup last Thursday where she missed the kick and had to chase on into fourth, but she’s usually one of the first out and she navigated the field well.

“Overall the results have been really good for her first staying campaign, she ran 42.19 winning a couple of starts back and I think with more racing we can get under the 42 seconds and that’s when you become a serious stayer.”

Cool Talk drops back to the 600 metres this week in a fierce Free For All contest, but it’s a distance she’s impressed over before and Russell is not ruling her out.

“There’s no Free For All over the 700 this week, so she comes back to the 600 which might not be a bad thing for her just to have a week off from the distance, but she finds a really strong race,” he said.

“She begins really well out of the 600-metre boxes, Flyaway Barb in the six could run some interference for us though, but if she can get around her I think she’s well over the odds.

“She’ll make up lengths mid-race; it’s going to be tough if Big Boy Bruce leads from the one then the form he’s in I don’t think we’ll chase him down, but she’s surprised me before.”