Saturday night’s massive Group 1 Topgun double header at The Meadows will get off to an exciting start when strike rate sensation Bareki chases an eighth straight win in the GRV Vic Bred final (525m).
Trained out of Golden Square by Dallas Massina, winner of GRV’s 2020/21 Provincial Strike Rate award, Bareki has taken all before her since resuming from a three-month break, winning seven on end to boost her imposing overall record to 17 from 24.
“She could always run,” said Noel Massina, Dallas’ father and Bendigo GRC stalwart.
“She broke the Ballarat 390m record in her first preparation. You don’t break a record that’s stood for eight years if you can’t run!
“She was going really well but then she hurt her shoulder.
“She ran third and fourth in a heat and final at Shepparton – she was racing good dogs, don’t worry about that, Koblenz won the final – but she wasn’t right, so we spelled her and worked on the shoulder and she’s come really well.
“When she came back she was in some easy races – Dallas has placed her really well – and had a good run with box draws, which helped.”
To say Bareki has come back “really well” is a huge understatement.
WATCH: Brilliant speedster BAREKI (6) made a sensational city debut with a runaway 29.72sec victory at The Meadows on October 27.
“She broke the Ballarat 390m record in her first preparation. You don’t break a record that’s stood for eight years if you can’t run!”
The March ’18 daughter of Barcia Bale and Nallak continued her remarkable return when making her first city appearance in the Vic Bred heats, leading throughout in a flying 29.72sec as she scored by the best past of 12 lengths.
Box 6 was no concern for Bareki in her heat romp; however Massina fears it could be a different story from ‘the green’ in Saturday’s $9100 to-the-winner final (race 1 at 7.01pm).
“She went good in her heat but there wasn’t a lot of pace in the race,” Massina said.
“She only just cleared them too. I just about closed my eyes on the first corner!
“When you draw bad at The Meadows, it’s very hard to get across, but she’ll do her best. That’s the sort of dog she is.
“We always thought Bareki would run ‘500’, we’ve just slowly worked her up to it.
“She has a sister called Jannila (10 from 16) that’s very strong and we didn’t think there was much between them. Jannila hurt a tendon but I’ve got no doubt she’ll run 600m.”
The Massinas are hoping to start Topgun night with a bang, with Lalina (14 from 25), another litter sister to Bareki, shaping as the testing material in race 2 after a fast 25.03sec last start Ballarat win at her second start since resuming from a spell.
