Weeding aiming for some Christmas cheer

By Josh Spasaro

Unique Ability has shown her talent in her last two victories at Rockhampton. 

Queensland regional trainer Gary Weeding has been pleased when analysing her past two performances ahead of the Christmas Gift heats at Rockhampton on Wednesday night.

His two-year-old bitch will start the first heat from box five and she carries two consecutive victories into the $3,000 race over 407 metres.

Both times the Speed Star and Unique Speed sprinter saluted in her past couple of appearances saw her go wide at the turn for home after jumping from the respective two and one lanes.

But, she then showed admirable poise and courage to finish strongly and prevail by a quarter-of-a-length on each occasion.

“She gets a little bit lost going around the bend. But, then she fires up again on the straight,” Weeding said of his developing sprinter with seven wins from 30 starts.

“She’s done that twice in a row now, but she won both times, so I can’t complain. She’s going pretty well, but the box five draw doesn’t help her too much.”

Litter sister Unstable Mable will start in the fifth heat – and the last of a 10-race program – from box seven.

Weeding said Unstable Mable was quite stubborn after he first purchased her from retired trainer, Dallas Beckett.

“When I first got her, she was very stubborn. She wouldn’t go through gates or through doorways. She was very difficult,” he said at the time.

But, her mentality has improved and she has placed in her past three starts.

Weeding believes she should give a good account of herself from the seven lane this week.

“Mable has come on really well,” he said of his two-year-old with seven wins from 26 starts.

“She’s really enjoying her time out here in my kennel. She was a bit moody to begin with, but she loves it now, so she’s good.

“It’s probably a weaker heat and she’s got box seven, which is not bad for her.

“She doesn’t mind being on the outside, so I give her a chance.”

Unique Ability has generally been mild mannered under Weeding’s care, showing no signs of stubbornness.

“Unique Ability is very quiet compared to Mable,” he said.

Weeding said he was happy with the form of both his juvenile bitches going into Wednesday night.

“Both of them, since I purchased them off Dallas, they’ve been really good race dogs,” he said.

“I’ve been very happy.”