Parker keen to rekindle Maisie’s diminished confidence

By Josh Spasaro

North Queensland trainer Tony Parker knows Maisie Moo Moo is a rare talent who has all the attributes of a great chaser.

But he concedes his juvenile bitch is a little down on confidence ahead of the Patrick Daniels Open race at Townsville on Tuesday night.

The two-year-old has finished fourth, sixth and eighth in her past three starts.

That is why his expectations have softened a little going into this week’s feature over 498 metres and worth $4,740.

Before her dip in form, she won four of five starts.

“If you asked me (how she’d go on Tuesday night) four or six weeks ago, I would’ve thought ‘really good’,” the Horseshoe Lagoon (south of Townsville) based Parker said.

“She’s gone off the boil a bit the past couple of starts. She hasn’t jumped as well as she can.

“If she gets back to near her best, of course she’ll be right in it. I’d say she’s an each-way chance.

“It’s a hot little race. You’ve got a Townsville Cup finalist (Time Passages) in there, and dogs like Jackknifed, Southpaw Mcgraw. They’re all good dogs.

“She’d have to pull out her best. You’d probably have to run 28.60 or something like that to win it.

“She went 80-something last start. I’m hoping to find the secret to her.”

Parker said it has been tough for Maisie Moo Moo to bounce back from her last-placed result in the Townsville Wildcard Final on August 26.

“There are so many different factors (regarding her drop in form). In the Wildcard Final, she suffered severe interference on the back straight,” he said.

“She didn’t appear to take any ill effects from it, physically.

“But you don’t know how mentally it’s affected her because she hasn’t really performed since that race.

“But physically she’s fine. I can’t find a thing wrong with her. Sometimes they get a bit apprehensive when something like that happens.

“I might give her a few weeks off if she doesn’t turn around her form. But we’ll see what happens on Tuesday.

“If she brings her best anything could happen.”

When Maisie Moo Moo is on song, Parker said she is near-faultless.

She is by Group 1 winner Hooked On Scotch and out of Barbados Express, who saluted on 16 occasions from 51 starts.

The talented young bitch has so far recorded 11 victories from 26 starts.

“Just her box speed. It’s been her main attribute, and then she can guts it out at the end, too,” Parker said.

“It’s hard to get a dog who can burn the candle at both ends. When she was on fire a few weeks ago, she’d ping and lead, and they couldn’t run her down.

“Those dogs are hard to come by. You normally get a lid-pinger who’s weak late, or a dog who’s slow early and charges home.

“She looked like she was going to have both. She’s just lost a bit of that early zip at the moment.

“Hopefully she can get it back.”

Parker said Maisie Moo Moo starting from box four – with a vacant lane on her inside – should help her on Tuesday night.

“Obviously, it won’t hurt. On her normal early form, she can definitely lead that race,” he said.

“But you’ve got some strong ones in there.

“Sometimes those smaller fields can work against you if you’ve got early speed because the dogs who aren’t as quick early, the race opens up better for them.

“But it never hurts to have a vacant box beside you. It gives you a little bit more room to move.”

Parker, who has 15 race dogs in work, said the quality of greyhound racing in Townsville was continually improving.

“It’s the best I’ve ever seen by a long way. We had a local dog (Hopefully Fast for Ross Rudall) run second in the Cup, and he nearly pinched it,” he said.

“It goes to show that the depth of the dogs is pretty good up here at the moment.”

The North Queensland conditioner said he learned a lot having Townsville Cup winner Tom Tzouvelis stay with him leading up to last Friday night’s feature worth $112,525.

Zipping Sweeny saluted in the 498-metre race for the Park Ridge (Brisbane) trainer, who celebrated his third victory in the Group 2 event.

“You make the most of it – you pick his brain. You’re mad not to,” Parker said.

“It’s more just about the lead-up to the racing, such as how long he leaves them in the empty yards for.

“Not that I was doing anything wrong, but just maybe change a few things in the day or two before a race.

“Putting them out in the yard the day after the race to see them trot around and keep a close look on their action, and things like that.

“Getting to know your dog and picking up little injuries. He showed me a few little different techniques to treat a few different injuries.

“Tommy’s a very good muscle man. He’s one of the best.

“Just learning how to treat the injuries is one of the biggest things you learn off Tommy.”