Home Sweet Home For Kalden Athena
After a three month drought, Group-winning bitch Kalden Athena has returned to the winner's circle at Cannington this week. Since leaving Western Australia in February, the blue fawn chaser has been earning many frequent flyer miles with starts in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in pursuit of some lucrative prize money.
However, after a few indifferent performances, many were wondering if the form that won the S.A Derby and placed in the Laurels could ever be recaptured.
But with a ticket home to the kennels of Dan Biddle, and a good box draw to boot, Kalden Athena quickly made a mess of her rivals, and cruised home by seven lengths in the lead-all-the-way performance.
Posting a time of 30.57, the daughter of Big Daddy Cool and Abbadale Gold has now amassed over $70,000 in winnings, courtesy of twelve wins from thirty-three lifetime starts.
It was a big drop in class from the aforementioned interstate campaign, where Kalden Athena was competing in Group races such as the Sapphire Crown, Big Dog Cup and Golden Easter Egg. John Iwanyk is usually the go-to man for training during the hit-and-run travel missions, where recently her littermate, Pillow Torque, has done so well as a stayer in the same hands. Hopefully this latest win, is just the boost in confidence that is needed for Kalden Athena.
Back to Saturday night's events, and Andrew Mclaren's Vocal Enforcer proved too good in the opening event, and got favourite punters off to a great start. Beginning well from box five, the son of Black Enforcer and She's Vocal sped around the 530m trip in 30.57, some four lengths ahead of Kalkarni Sprit and Mullum Magic.
How I Roll was once again given good support in betting, but continued its poor form after missing the start, while We Paint Houses was unable to repeat the dose from its victory last week. Running wide at the first bend from box one, the former Victorian found itself out the back and unable to make an impact.
Holding one of the most consistent strike rates in the state, Vocal Enforcer keeps improving an already impressive record, having been in the money twenty times, including thirteen wins from only twenty-four starts. The statistics look even more remarkable when considering the dog has never had a start from box one.
It should only be a matter of time before Vocal Enforcer returns to Free-For-All class and has another chance to compete against arguably the best dog in the state, Pedrosa, who just keeps racking up wins around the Cannington circuit.
Having only his second start in four months, the evergreen speedster handed in another copybook performance from box six. After beginning well, Paul Stuart's kennel star managed to whiz around Rock Pool on the first bend and from there the race was as good as over.
Although the time of 30.42 was not his personal best, it was the best time of the night. It seems obvious he'll take a stack of beating should connections decide to have another crack at the National Sprint Championship in August.