Form and start are Scenic Sundari’s QGOLD aces

By Josh Spasaro

Despite drawing box eight, Gold Coast Hinterland trainer Darren Russell believes Scenic Sundari will be tough to beat in the QGold Final at Q1 Lakeside on Friday afternoon.

The two-year-old bitch takes three consecutive wins into the race worth $15,600 and over 390 metres, in what has been an impressive start to her career.

Scenic Sundari has six victories from nine starts so far and is sharp out of the lids.

She ran the fastest heat time of 21.71 seconds last Friday, with a first sectional of 5.94 seconds.

“She’s got good early speed. If she can break six (seconds) off the mark she’ll nearly lead from out there,” Russell said.

“I don’t think box eight will be a worry. It might suit her.”

Russell said if Scenic Sundari competes well on Friday, he will look to step her up in distance.

“Hopefully she can run a bit further. The next step will be 457 metres in the coming weeks,” Russell said.

“I think she can (have a good career).”

By multiple Group 1-winner Hooked On Scotch, Russell trained Scenic Sundari’s dam, Javens.

Javens won seven races from 54 starts.

And, if Scenic Sundari is anything like her dam, she will comfortably handle a step up in distance in the coming weeks.

“She (Javens) has thrown a few who can run,” Russell said. 

“She was more of a staying type. Her sister was more brilliant, Oski. But, she seems to have thrown the better pups out of the two of them.

“Her sister was a lot faster – she got a couple of placings in Group races. But, she (Javens) was more of a dour staying type.”

Russell has 16 dogs under his care on his 60-acre property at Innisplain, which is about 25km south of Beaudesert.

Meanwhile, Russell said he was hoping kennel star Wreck James could return to full fitness after finishing third in a Brisbane Young Guns heat over 520 metres last start on April 24. 

“There’s a Cup coming up worth $30,000 to the winner,” Russell said.

“A few of mine will be heading there, such as Wreck James.

“He was very disappointing the other night, but I got someone to go look at him on the Friday morning. 

“No dog ever runs him down. He was six lengths in front of the third dog and got run down. Obviously, he did something in the run.”