Cheryl Northfield's pick lands the Golden Ticket

By Jordan Gerrans

Owner Cheryl Northfield thinks she can take the credit for Kooringa Lucy’s spectacular career as she was the one to pick her out of Mitcharlie Mia’s first litter.

Just hours after Kooringa Lucy booked her spot in the Group 1 $300,000 Gold Bullion on February 3 following the Golden Ticket Final, Cheryl recalled her memories of picking out the youngster that would become a Group 3 champion.

The Dobies Bight-based Cheryl owns the white and black bitch, with her husband Mitch the trainer.

There was 11 in the Mitcharlie Mia and Fernando Bale litter, with Lucy standing out to Cheryl.

“She was my pick,” Cheryl said with a laugh.

“I just thought she was pretty and I liked her.

“She had a bit of character but it is all the luck of picking them sometimes – I have picked others that have gone on to not be very good either.

“It is a matter of luck sometimes.”

The daughter of Fernando Bale ran the speediest time of the four match races on Thursday evening to claim the Golden Ticket, stopping the clock in her race against  Little Byrnes in 30.12 seconds over 520 metres with reigning Capalaba Cup champion Impact in second at 30.19 seconds.

The Kooringa Lucy and Little Byrnes match-up was the second of the evening, with gun dogs such as TAB Phoenix runner-up Spotted Elk, Ipswich Gold Cup winner Louis Rumble, Impact and Victorian visitor Aston Ulysses to come in the final two match races.

That just added to the emotion in the Golden Ticket victory when Kooringa Lucy was confirmed as the fastest time of the night.

“It was fantastic,” Cheryl said.

“I was delighted but it was very nerve-racking waiting for the other heats.

“That was the hardest part I reckon; I was very excited but we had to wait for the best two in the last heat.

“You get the thrill of watching her win but then you are thinking 'they might go better than her', but it was good in the end."

While Mitch’s name is listed as trainer and Cheryl as owner, it is a family team effort at the Northfield kennel with everyone pitching in, including other family members to get the dogs to their peak condition.

The rainy conditions around Albion Park on Thursday night helped their kennel star, Cheryl believes, as she was able to come home strong in the concluding stages.

Nearing four years of age and having won over 30 races, the Group 3 Golden Ticket victory is the largest for prize money across her career, with another opportunity to grab an even bigger purse in the Golden Bullion next month.

“She has been a really good dog to us – she is very special to us,” Cheryl, who also has her own trainers licence, said.

She ran second in the Group 2 Futurity at Albion Park in late 2019, before also going close in the Group 1 National Futurity Final at Wentworth Park, contesting the Group 2 Oaks at Richmond, running fifth in the Casino Cup before a fourth placed effort in the 2021 Brisbane Cup.

“If we had a bit of luck at the right time it would be a different story, she has won over $200,000 now and her biggest cheque was $10,000 before Thursday night, which is unbelievable," Mitch said. 

Looking ahead to the Group 1 Gold Bullion, the Northfield team are discussing if she will have another run of trial before the big dance, while aiming to draw between box one and three for the $300,000 event.

Also at Albion Park on Thursday evening, Victorian dog Knicks Bale survived a diving finish from the chasing pack to claim the Listed Clem Jones Cup Final in 42.82 seconds over the staying trip.

Tony Brett’s Orchestrate made it two triumphs from two attempts back from a long lay-off to win the Australian Day Trophy.

Orchestrate’s victory was part of the Brett kennel’s winning double across the 12-event program from Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club.