Eye-catching Canya Hold On set for heat

By Josh Spasaro 

Apart from her keenness at box rise, the first thing that stands out about Canya Hold On is her striking appearance.

The two-year-old bitch will jump from box seven in the second $4,810 Rockhampton Young Guns heat over 510 metres on Wednesday night.

She has shown plenty of potential for reigning premiership-winning trainer Juanita Thompson.

Canya Hold On has won two out of three starts in Central Queensland after being sent north by Jemma Daley. The white and red fawn bitch has the looks to go with her ability.

“She’s a good little dog to have in the kennels. She’s a pretty little thing,” Thompson said. 

“She’s unusual because she’s got the three colours, not just two colours. She’s actually got three colours. She’s an excellent dog to have and she’s a calm dog. She’s only a tiny little thing – she’s not real big.

“If she can get out and get clear, she’d be hard to beat, I think.”

Both her wins for Thompson have come from the seven and eight lanes. Her two career wins have come from 11 starts.

In both victories on April 12 and 22, she showed a mature race nous to cross and lead early, winning by a respective two-and-a-quarter and four-and-a-quarter lengths.

“She’s had outside boxes since she’s been with us. She’s getting used to them,” Thompson said.

“It’s a handy field. Darren Taylor’s bitch Carol Rain is handy.”

Canya Hold On did not register a win for Lyn Smith in her first six starts in Victoria. She then finished in the bottom two placings for South East Queensland conditioner Daley in two runs.

But, she made an instant impression under the care of Juanita and Clinton Thompson.

“Her first eight races she didn’t do very well. But, she was sent up here. We trialled her and went straight into a 510 metre race with her,” Thompson said.

“She trialled fantastic. First look at the track she was really good. And, she’s been going exceptionally well running fantastic times.

“We were quite surprised, but her owner’s rapt. One of her brothers (Canya Handle It) was in the Golden Easter Egg Final.”

Meanwhile, Thompson revealed Ritza Ken would arrive in her kennels this week.

He is conditioned by Warren Nicholls at Churchable, who has sent up a number of chasers to the Thompsons.

The three-year-old dog by Fernando Bale and out of Ritza Gloria has won on 11 occasions from 77 starts for over $62,000 in prizemoney.

Thompson said she was aiming him for the Rockhampton Grand Prix

“Hopefully for the Grand Prix we can have a crack at it with him,” she said.

“He’s been going quite well down there. He’s been going up against tough dogs. Every time he gets into a race there’s always that one striking dog who keeps coming up.

“Because the winter carnival’s on, we thought we’d bring him up while it’s on down there because he’s a handy dog, but he’s just not an outstanding dog.

“He’s been going over the 600 metres and we might even look at the 643 metres in Townsville. He’ll be up here for a few months while the carnival is on.”

Meanwhile, fellow top Rockhampton trainer Darren Taylor believes Carol Rain could be competitive in the second Young Guns heat.

She will jump one inside Canya Hold On, from the six lane, on Wednesday night.

The two-year-old light fawn bitch has six wins from 27 starts.

After trainer Michelle Mallia sent her north, Carol Rain has saluted in two from three starts for Taylor.

“I’m really happy with her,” Taylor said.

“She was never brought up here for the Young Guns in question. But, just looking at her prior form, I thought she’d run 510 metres.

“I gave her a look over 510 metres last Monday and she ran it out nicely in a good time of 29.83 seconds.”

Like Canya Hold On, Carol Rain also knows how to cross over and lead early from outside lanes.

Her two wins at Rockhampton have come from the six and eight boxes.

“She’s got a good turn of foot, that’s for sure. She can get out of the boxes. She’s not overly quick, but she accelerates quick,” Taylor said.

“She’s only a small bitch, but she can accelerate.

“She led from the eight over 510 metres last week. She’ll go good. I’m very happy with her. She’s worked really well since she’s been up here.”

Taylor spoke highly when asked about the quality of dogs lining up in both Rockhampton Young Guns heats on Wednesday night.

“Very good. The dogs are getting better. Two of Louise Cameron’s (Cambla Blaze and Cambla Diva) are nice pups. The dog who Juanita has, she’s gone really well since she’s come up here,” he said.

“Abraxos goes good for Kenny Boody. My interesting one in the Young Guns is Velocity Rowena. She’s out of a super-class bitch, Velocity Bettina.

“I whelped that litter with my wife and daughter-in-law. She came off this property, so it’ll be interesting to see how she goes.

“And, you’ve got Bailey Dargusch up here – their dogs all go good.”

Taylor added he was happy with Dish Liquor’s effort in the Rockhampton Cup. The race was won by Star Turn for Jeff Crawford on April 22.

In a star-studded race, the Rockhampton Greyhound Racing Club President’s two-year-old brindle bitch finished seventh from box seven.

“I was really happy with her. She was on the wrong side of the track,” he said.

“When you’re racing in those Group 2 races with the quality of dogs like that, you need a little bit of luck to go your way.

“You need the boxes to go your way. Unless you’re a superstar. If she was on the inside, who knows, it could’ve changed.”