It might be an idea for Jack Smith to take his vehicle to his local mechanic in Forbes this week just to ensure everything is in good working order, so that he or his wife Maree will have a trouble-free trip to Newcastle next Friday night.
In the vehicle next Friday will be Magpie Hector, the favourite for the $250,000 Ladbrokes 715 who was in dynamic form in winning his heat of the world’s richest distance event at The Gardens on Friday night, and while they will be hoping for a repeat of the result in 2022, they can do without the pre-race drama.
Jack and Maree won the inaugural 715 with super stayer Miss Ezmae, but the road to riches was anything but smooth.
On her way from Forbes, Maree broke down in a little place called Sandy Hollow, 140km from Newcastle. Desperate to get there, she and Miss Ezmae accosted a young man headed for the Central Coast and hitched a ride to The Gardens. The rest is history.
The following year they were unlucky not to win again with champion stayer Palawa King running third, and now they are back again and primed to claim the feature again.
“I was quite relaxed at home until she told me about it,” Jack said of that 2022 trip “But she was fine, she told me she'd hitched a ride, and it was all good.
“It's good to be though to the final. This is the one everybody wants to win. You know the money's great, but it's not everything and we all just hope he races well next week.”
Magpie Hector – who has already this year won three Group 1 events and has amassed more than $350,000 in prizemoney - clocked a slick 41.66s in winning. Jodie Lord’s Power Squeeze came from well back early to grab second and a place in the final as one of the fastest three second placegetters.
The Lords, who have won just about every feature event in NSW, will be chasing their first 715 success and will also be represented in the final by Ayden’s Warrior who led most of the way to win his heat in 41.77s.
“He’s a marvel this dog,” said Lord kennel representative Steve Fairbairn. “I think he turns four next week, and you don’t see many long distance Masters’ dogs going around.
“It’s a credit to Andy and Jodie and Hayley (Gilbert) and everyone at home for keeping this dog going.
“He gives his all and he’s aptly named. He’s a warrior.”
No Victorian has ever won the Ladbrokes 715 but they will have a legitimate opportunity to change that statistic next week after winning two of the five heats with star stayer Without A Trace and fastest qualifier Electrify.
Trained by Greg Doyle, Electrify led from the home turn the first time and raced away to win by 10 lengths in 41.48s.
“It’s his first time at the track, so I didn't really know what he was going to do. He definitely wants to find the rails so that was the key and once he sort of found the front, it's an easy way to look at the track the first time when you have actually got the lure right in front of you,” Doyle said.
When asked about deciding to give the 715 a shot with the relatively young dog, he said: “You've got to. Like I said, Peter Presutto didn't have the (Golden) Easter Egg targeted with Off The Chart but his attitude was, when the dog was going well, you've got to have a go, and it turned out pretty well for him.
“I'm sure if he sees this he won't be hoping it turns out that well for me, because he's got Without A Trace in the race.”
Although beaten 10 lengths, fellow Victorian Texas President clocked 42.18s a time swift enough to qualify for the final.
Earlier this month Without A Trace failed in the heats of the Group 1 Association Cup at Wentworth Park after a tough run in the final of the Country Classic in Dubbo, but a freshen up appears to have worked wonders as she was back to her front-running best winning in 41.86s.
“She was super tonight,” said Peter’s son James. “She had to work really hard to get across to the front and then when she crossed and I thought, yep we’re on here tonight.
“She hasn't had probably the best preparation as we would have liked, but in saying that her past couple weeks at home have been amazing, she's trialling well, she's feeling great, so it was a pleasure to see her do what she does best.”
Soiree, a sister to Electrify, ran home well to grab third in a time just quick enough to book a berth in the final.
The fog rolled in for the last of five heats and many in the field may not have seen Pepe Morada as he speared from the boxes and raced away, opening up a huge lead and hanging on to win the heat in 42.29s and grab that final spot for the final.
