Lovely Madeline ready for Futurity test

By Josh Spasaro

Not only does Lovely Madeline live up to her name, but she has seamlessly stepped back up to 498 metres ahead of the Townsville Futurity Final on Tuesday night.

That is the opinion of her trainer, Jay Schafer.

“Beautiful dog. She does everything right in the kennel and everything is good,” he said.

The bitch was an impressive winner of her Futurity heat last week, crossing the line in 28.96 seconds, with She’s Spirited runner-up for Mark Partland.

From box four, the $10 outsider led all the way, lengthening nicely in the home straight.

“She got a little bit lost down the back, they got to her quick and then she found her stride and knew where she was going,” Schafer said.

“She can run 500 metres pretty good, but I was definitely happy with her run.”

The North Queensland conditioner added he had full confidence she would handle the step up in distance, with her last start over 498 metres for previous trainer Bradley Belford back on April 14.

That was when she finished fourth in the Errol Waters Memorial Final.

“She was fresh. I freshened her up for the Futurity and she came out running,” Schafer said.

“I was worried that she’d struggle the last 50 metres, but she went good.”

Schafer said he was happy Lovely Madeline drew box one for Tuesday night’s Final, which is worth $7,900.

“There’s a little bit of speed in the race. The dog next to me out of the two (Cheap Reality for Hayley Wooler) is going to get a real good path through,” he said.

“It’s just where everyone ends up down the back and whether she can hold them off or not.

“She’s drawn all right there and she’ll give it her best shot. She’s probably around a 28.80 second dog, that’s all she can run.

“But, if she can get out in front and they jam up behind her, she’s got a good chance.”

Lovely Madeline won a Judy Olsen Townsville Maiden 1000 heat on debut on September 2 last year.

With eight career wins from 44 starts, Schafer believes his Bernardo and Quena Dee Air black bitch was a little late to develop her racing nous, but is now realising her potential.

“She started a little bit late. We had a couple of injuries with her and now she’s really starting to stretch out and mature as a race dog,” he said.

Among Schafer’s other runners on Tuesday night, Canya Scarlet is an outsider in her race over 498 metres.

The three-year-old white and blue bitch has 13 wins from 82 career starts.

“Tough race again, 600 metre races - that’s where she likes to be,” he said.

"I might send her to Brisbane shortly. 

“I’ve got a couple of people down there who are keen to take her, so over the next month or so, she’ll head down there.”

Meanwhile, the Townsville Derby Final promises to be a beauty.

Townsville Cup runners Takeover Target and Ground Control will jump from boxes two and four, respectively.

Cup runner-up Ground Control is looking for a hat-trick for Heath Ardle, while Takeover Target has saluted in four of his past six starts for Michael Hickmott.

Starry Raymar has five wins from 10 starts for Mark Partland this preparation and he has drawn box one.