A fateful “last crack at the stumps” could result in young trainer Indiah Guy celebrating a $5000 windfall in Sunday’s Healesville Puppy Championship final (350m).
Guy, 28, has Unknown Ability (Box 4) engaged in the Puppy Championship decider and after just two starts the homebred talent has answered the all-important question his racing name poses in a very positive manner.
Unknown Ability is bred and raced by Huntly-based Indiah and her father Greg Guy, and their decision to embark on a final breeding foray with his Barcia Bale x Ann’s Moment litter looks like being a shrewd move if the early signs are an indication.
“Dad and I train together. I love the dogs and enjoy doing it with Dad, we’re a team,” Indiah said.
“Dad’s been in the dogs for 35 years and I’ve been in them my whole life but Dad had two hip replacements and we’d been out of the dogs for five or six years.
“Then Dad said to me he wanted to get back into it and breed a litter. It was basically our last crack at the stumps.
“Dad had a chat to Rod Clark and he had a female called Ann’s Moment that we could breed with.
“We wanted a city winner, which she was, and her mother, Got A Moment, won the Melbourne Cup, so she ticked all the boxes, and we went to Barcia Bale.”
Unknown Ability made a perfect start to his career with an impressive debut victory at Shepparton, clocking a smart 21.76sec over 385m.
He then ventured to Healesville for last Sunday’s Puppy Championship heats where he was well-fancied at $3.80 when edged out by $35 roughie Texicali Tiger in 19.48sec.
There was an even tighter finish in the second heat, with Barista Chick, trained by Robert Le Sueur, shading Six Speed Manual in 19.44sec to claim her third win from five starts.
“Unknown Ability had trialled once at Healesville and it always takes a few runs up there to work it out, so he should improve this week,” Indiah offered.
“It would be fantastic to win the final. I was pretty excited when he won at Shepparton!
“It’s a very open race. It’s only his third time in a field and there’s a lot of speed on the inside, with Greg Berry’s dog (Zigzag Cabang – Box 1) and the ‘three’ (Barista Chick) is pretty quick out too.
“But I’d like to think that if he gets out he has a good chance.”
Indiah says she wasn’t concerned about home confinement during COVID as she had Unknown Ability and his littermates to devote her energies to.
“Dad reckons I mollycoddled them. He might be right,” she laughed.
“Unknown Ability is a bit of a sook. He’s a shocker. He likes to get hand-fed and he loves his strawberry milk – he’s got me over a barrel!
“We’ve got five from the litter and Unknown Ability is the best that’s raced so far. There’s a female that’s even better than him but she came on season.
“Dad has Buckle Up Buckle Up, which is a reserve for Sunday’s final. He’s not as quick but he tries his hardest!”
WATCH: Unknown Ability (6) is narrowly beaten by Texicali Tiger (4) in a thrilling Healesville Puppy Championship heat last weekend and is looking to go one better in Sunday’s final.
HEALESVILLE PUPPY CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL (350m)
Sunday, 1.09pm
- ZIGZAG CABANG (Greg Berry, Toolleen)
- MOON OVER MEXICO (Craig Treherne, Lara)
- BARISTA CHICK (Robert Le Sueur, Mulwala)
- UNKNOWN ABILITY (Indiah Guy, Huntly)
- SIX SPEED MANUAL (Craig Treherne, Lara)
- TEXICALI TIGER (Michael Davison, Talbot)
- MIGHTY PIE (Brad Sands, Pakenham)
- RAPH CITY (Alice Peat, Axedale)
Reserves
- BUCKLE UP (Gregory Guy, Huntly)
- LOCK CRACKER (Geoffrey Mitchell, Spotswood)
HEAT WINNERS (Fastest to slowest):
- 19.44sec Barista Chick
- 19.48sec Texicali Tiger
“We wanted a city winner (to breed with), which she was, and her mother, Got A Moment, won the Melbourne Cup, so she ticked all the boxes, and we went to Barcia Bale.”
