Valentine looking for luck for Buster

By Pat McLeod

Jimboomba trainer Jayson Valentine knows 'Lady Luck' must be your partner when facing straight track phenomenon Secret Story at Capalaba.

So, he is ruing the fact that his speedster Tarawi Buster will be without that preferred companion for Sunday’s $12,025-to-the-winner Anniversary Cup Final at the popular Brisbane coastal track  

“Buster just can't draw a box in a feature,” Valentine lamented.

“It is very frustrating. A race like this is his sort of race – just at the right level, just below a Listed race.

“That is him. But, he needs to be out of the eight. Box three does not do him any favours. When he jumps, he will go right and get to the outside fence.

“When you have a dog like Secret Story in this race, you can't afford to make any mistakes and you definitely need to be out of your best box.

“So yes, we will need a lot of luck on Sunday.”

Secret Story has had 16 starts at Capalaba for 12 wins and four placings.

He already has tallied $134,015 in prizemoney, with the cornerstone of that being his Capalaba Cup victory in October.

Valentine would have preferred to have met Tom Tzouvelis' exciting youngster on better terms.

“Buster had a really good trial at The Q on Wednesday night and is a lot better for that,” Valentine said.

“With that run under him this week, and considering how well he went, I would be going into this race reasonably confident if I was coming out of the eight.

“I know what this dog can do, but Secret Story is a very, very good dog.”

Valentine admitted that 'Lady Luck' had not always deserted him and she had in fact played a significant part in Tarawi Buster coming into his kennel.

“A very good friend of mine and great dog man, (Northern NSW’s) Dennis Robinson got me the dog," Valentine said. 

“A good friend of his for more than 50 years is prominent breeder Lorraine Atchison (from the NSW Central Coast).

“Soon after that she sent up Tarawi Buster and so I have had him from break-in.

“Lorraine is a really lovely lady, who does a lot of breeding, so I hope she keeps sending me up the good ones.”

Tarawi Buster is from a successful Oaks Road and Anna Cotton litter that includes smart bitch Cochise Attitude (46 starts, 17 wins, 13 placings for $100,293 in prizemoney), who is raced by former NSW Central Coast trainer Andy Mulrine – now racing out of The Q.

 In fact, Valentine revealed that Buster would soon be following a similar path as Cochise Attitude and racing over more distance.

“This dog still has a big future,” he said of Tarawi Buster.

“He has had a few injury niggles recently, but they are only minor and I never push my dogs too hard.

“I am actually hoping to step him up to 600 metres. His sister can run 600 metres and his run homes at The Q are Group-level run homes.

“He is three years of age and it is worth a shot. I will test him over the 550 metres and then up to 600 meters.

“That is where we will go to after this weekend. We will go straight to the 550 metres at the Q1, see what happens and go from there.”