Kev Ellis makes an impact at Capalaba

By Isaac Murphy

Kev Ellis knew early on Impact was going to make some kind of race dog, but four months since his first start, the dog was still in maiden grade until his sizzling debut up the straight in the Bob Vernon Memorial heats at Capalaba on Sunday.

The son of Fabregas rattled off a huge last section to stop the clock at 19.53 and looked a near-certainty for this week’s Final until the rain came.

Still, Ellis is hoping the triumph can be the first of many for Impact as the trainer continues his long running association with Velocity Lodge.

“It was an enormous effort, he’s always had potential and his abilities have never been in question, but having stop start preparations through tough races like the Dave Brett, Lismore Maiden and Vince Curry he just hadn’t had a chance to show what he’s about until Sunday,” Ellis said.

“His Vince Curry run, he got bumped off the track by a couple of wayward dogs and did his fibula and wrist.

“These last couple of months I’ve just been letting that heal and thought a straight race would be the place to start him and the Bob Vernon was right on time.

“I’m relieved to see him break his maiden, if you get knocked around too much early it can get to them mentally, now he’s up a grade against better and more experienced dogs I think that’ll help him.”

Coming back from injury, Capalaba was the natural starting point for the dog, with Ellis’ hard work paying off with a debut that would have him in Cup conversations.

“I’ve been working with him for three of four weeks up the straight and the only thing holding him back have been his box manners, I knew if he could get them right on Sunday, he’d run time and he jumped the best he has up there,” he said.

“Everything just clicked for him; clean out and never in trouble, I was hoping for a 19.7, 19.8 type run.

“I was a bit blown away when I saw how quick he’d gone (19.53) especially in relation to his competition.

“Columbian King’s the benchmark at Capalaba and he had everything go his way and only went three hundredths quicker, it was good to see my boy fly home because his future is the 500.”

Impact has clearly come back a better dog, and Ellis used the injury layoff wisely, with maturity beginning to shine through.

“I had high hopes for him in the Vince Curry, but having a couple of months away from the track looks to have been a bit of a blessing in disguise,” Ellis said.

“He was a hyperactive pup; always charging around he was like a bull at a gate, I’ve been able to iron out a bit of that immaturity, I think Sunday was a sign he’s going the right direction.

“There are a lot of pups that can wow you with their ability before they do anything of note on the track, now he’s shown what he’s all about I can start to plan ahead with him.”

Ellis planned to finish the job in this week’s Final, but with a deluge of rain putting the race in severe doubt he may look elsewhere while the dog is on an upward trend.

“I’d planned for him to have another run and hopefully win the Bob Vernon Final, but at this stage Sunday isn’t looking likely and who knows when or if they’re going to re-schedule,” he said.

“We’ll wait for some news on that and then decide what he does next.

“If Capalaba is out of business for the foreseeable future, we’ll probably head back to Albion Park because he’s just come back from injury and I want to keep him racing.

“He hasn’t been to the circle in a long time, so if we do go that way, I’d give him a couple of slips at the track before putting him in a Novice on a Thursday night.”

Ellis was somewhat surprised when Impact was going so well as a pup given his dam’s career, but as always prominent breeder and owner Steve Williams found a good match.

“This dog is another one of Steve Williams’; I trained the mother Velocity Willow and she didn’t do much as a race bitch but was beautifully put together with a sound temperament and has bloodlines from a very good bitch Velocity Zoe,” Ellis said.

“Steve’s always on top of potential breeding opportunities and saw something in her, and together with Fabregas, she’s given us a really nice dog.

“We’ve got a good friendship and an even better working relationship, I know I’m getting quality pups and he knows I’m going to do right by them.”

Ellis and Williams’ most recent success was with Velocity Bettina, a bitch who won between the 700-700 and always looked like a prime brood bitch.

“Velocity Bettina came on season to breed but she had a few complications, and the vet wasn’t sure if the Black Magic Opal straw - which is worth about $16,000 - would work, so we’re just waiting for her to come on season again,” Ellis said.

“We’ve sill got the Black Magic Opal straw, so the pups will almost be full blood to Black Opium who we all know about.

“Velocity Bettina took me on a hell of a ride, and I’d get a real kick out of training her offspring given the chance.”