Caption: A happy Steve Kavanagh after Louis Rumble charged to victory in the recent $75,000-to-the-winner Group 2 TAB Ipswich Gold Cup (520m). (PHOTO: Just Greyhound Photos)
By MIKE HILL
“IT’S a nice feeling,” said legendary trainer Steve Kavanagh after his talented sprinter Louis Rumble impressively won last month’s $108,750 Group 2 TAB Ipswich Gold Cup (520m).
For the son of Fernando Bale and Joyce Rumble, it was his breakthrough victory in Group racing and a fitting reward for 12 wonderful months on the track in which he has contested five Group finals.
\”He\’s racing really well at the moment,\” a proud Kavanagh said after the race.
\”I really like the dog.
\”He\’s had three seconds in major features this year and he deserved this one.\”
Always the warm favourite, Louis Rumble ($2.90) began quickly from box four, darting to the fence and opening up a two-to-three-length lead heading into the back straight.
The black sprinter was never challenged, increasing his margin on the corner before winning by four-and-three-quarter lengths in a slick 30.29s.
Graham Hall\’s Spotted Elk ($5) was courageous in defeat, chasing hard all the way, with the Tom Tzouvelis-prepared Lily Monelli ($19) another length back third.
Spotted Elk\’s kennelmate and litter sister Extra Malt ($3.70), owned by Hall but trained by his wife Leanne, ran a gallant fourth after missing the start and being checked several times in running.
Kavanagh, who has had amazing success in the sport over almost 50 years, agreed that Louis Rumble had virtually \’won it at the start\’.
\”His early speed is his biggest asset,\” he said.
\”And he held on well tonight.\”
For Kavanagh, the win more than made up for Louise Rumble\’s narrow defeat in the G2 Lismore Cup (520m) in late October.
The black sprinter had led all the way in that final only to be grabbed by Robert Cooke\’s Cash View right on the line.
\”He was beaten by a very good, strong dog,\” said Kavanagh.
\”But this is a huge consolation win.
\”And this place (Ipswich) has been very good to me this year.\”
Kavanagh has a perfect record at the track in 2021 – seven from seven – and he has walked away with two of the club\’s biggest prizes.
Earlier in the year, Louis Rumble\’s litter brother Rumble Ranger won the $40,000-to-the-winner G3 Vince Curry Memorial Maiden (520m), going through the three-race series undefeated, then in late July Louis Rumble won the $16,800 Ipswich Young Guns Final (520) after an impressive heat win seven nights earlier before taking home last month\’s $75,000-to-the-winner Cup.
Kavanagh, based just over the border in the Northern Rivers community of Pottsville, said he couldn\’t remember when he last had a runner in the Ipswich Cup series.
\”I haven\’t done much racing there over the years,\” he said.
\”I do most of my racing in NSW and at Albion Park.\”
The Ipswich victory took Louis Rumble\’s record to 21 wins and 11 placings from 39 starts and boosted his earnings to $173,245.
Kavanagh is hoping there are more big wins still to come.
He said two editions of the Million Dollar Chase will be run at Wentworth Park next year and Louis Rumble has clocked 29.61s twice at the track, both in pressure-cooker races.
\”We\’ll be looking at those races if he stays healthy,\” the trainer said.
Kavanagh said the G3 Casino Cup (late last month) would most likely be Louis Rumble\’ next target.
\”We\’ll see how he pulls up,\” he said.
And then he\’ll focus on the TAB Golden Greys Summer Racing Carnival at Albion Park.
Meanwhile, another Northern Rivers raider took the major prize in the $12,600 Ipswich Cup Consolation.
Mitch Northfield\’s super sprinter Kooringa Lucy ($2.30 fav) proved too classy, running down tearaway leader Little Byrnes (John Catton) – a $6 chance – close to home.
The Robert Ayres-prepared Lucky Lance ($12) was five lengths away third.
The victory took Kooringa Lucy\’s impressive record to 30 wins and 21 placings from 68 starts and lifted her earnings to almost $178,000.
Park Ridge-based trainer Tom Tzouvelis had a night out winning the two major support features – the $12,800 Past Members Trophy (630m) with Sunburst and the $12,800 TAB Ipswich Sprint (431m) with brilliant speedster Mitchell Street.
Tzouvelis also rugged up the third placegetter in the Cup Lily Monelli – one of three runners he had in the big feature final.
Sunburst (SH Avatar-Sawadee) is quickly becoming a middle-distance star.
She has now won her past six starts – two over the Albion Park 600m and four over 630m at Ipswich.
A hot $1.70 fancy, Sunburst dominated the Trophy final beating the Jamie Hosking-trained Mick\’s Recall ($2.90) by six-and-a-half lengths with Paul Cauchi\’s It\’s A Trick ($81) another two lengths away third.
Mitchell Street, heavily-supported at $1.75 to maintain his unbeaten record over the 431m trip, didn\’t let his backers down.
The light fawn son of Fernando Bale-Off And On took his record to 12 from 12 for the journey with a two-and-three-quarter- lengths victory over the Tony Apap-prepared Jacobus ($5.50) with the Pauline Byers-trained Spring Rock ($23) two lengths back third.
Mitchell Street now has an overall career record of 19 wins and 13 placings from 47 starts with prizemoney in excess of $72,000.
