Allford Cleans Up At Tote Racing Centre
Railton's Gerard “Bear” Allford achieved the best result of his career on Monday night at the Tote Racing Centre when he quinellaed the $10,000 to the winner Minister's Gift Final (515 metres) with the litter brothers Bearville Phil and Bearville Boy.
A former top country footballer, Allford bred and races the Give Me Five – Von's Angel chasers in partnership with Steve Bird, a former Tasmanian now based in Queensland.
Mangalore mentor Mick Stringer prepares Bearville Phil, but Allford himself is responsible for Bearville Boy from his Railton base.
The lightly raced pair have now won a total of 17 races between them and are shaping up as stars of the future.
Bearville Boy flew the lids on Monday night and opened up a commanding lead on his rivals, but was run down by Bearville Phil in the shadows of the post.
The winner recorded a time of 30.27 in scoring by 0.25 metres and paying a respectable $5.20 win dividend.
He eased in wagering on the event due to the good support for the Butch Deverell prepared Miss Hetti (Head Bound – It's A She), a litter sister to the standouts Jethro and Bell Haven.
“It is certainly the best win of my career and I am about to start celebrating,” Allford explained on Tuesday morning.
“The only thing that disappointed me was the quinella dividend of $3.60, but the win dividend made up for it well and truly,” he added.
Unfortunately Bearville Phil sustained a minor injury in running and will be off the scene for a month and Allford will peruse the programmes before deciding on Bearville Boy's next outing.
By Big Daddy Cool, Von's Angel was possessed of plenty of speed and was the winner of six races.
She has since produced a litter of five pups by Magambo and Allford is quietly confident that they will also make the grade.
“Mick Stringer sold two of them for me in Hobart and I have retained the remaining three, which have just been broken in,” he explained.
“They are fifteen months old and are not bad looking pups – here's hoping,” he added.
Meanwhile veteran Launceston trainer Reg Dickenson was also seen in the winners circle at the LGRC meeting when Rara Rush (El Galo – Our Little Rush) opened her account in the National Greyhound Form Grade 5 (515 metres).
She recorded a time of 30.12 in winning by six lengths and paying a healthy win dividend of $11.
The bitch was having her tenth start in a race, but put the writing on the wall at her previous start when a promising fourth to Dealer's Lad (Made To Size – Little Ezza) at the same venue.