Top Gun stayers in champagne form

When on song, which is more often than not, Champagne Sally can handle the Top Gun distance of 725 metres very capably.

Paul Dolan. Picture: Cordell Richardson

DUAL Ipswich record-holder Champagne Sally has been invited to contest the group 2 $75,000 to the winner Top Gun Stayers in Melbourne next week.

The Ray Burman trained bitch holds the record for 520 and 630 metres at Ipswich.

When on song, which is more often than not, Champagne Sally can handle the Top Gun distance of 725 metres very capably.

Champagne Sally has finished third and sixth in two feature races at the Meadows, which is where the Top Gun will be run tomorrow week. She has won at Sandown in Melbourne over 715 metres.

Most of the Top Gun Stayers field is from Victoria. However, the task of winning has been made a little easier with Victoria and Australia's top two stayers Tornado Tears and Rippin' Sam sidelined due to injury.

Also on tomorrow week's card at the Meadows is the $150,000 Top Gun Sprint over 525 metres. The field includes seven Victorian trained runners, plus Trouper Monelli from Perth.

The box draws will be conducted tomorrow night.

Million Dollar Chase at exciting stage

WENTWORTH Park in Sydney hosts the final of the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase tomorrow night.

It's like a State of Origin contest, with four runners trained in NSW and four from Victoria.

The lone Queenslander to make the semi-finals, the Tom Tzouvelis trained Maurice Minor, was bundled out last week.

Poke the Bear, one of two runners for Victoria's Seona Thompson, is the favourite with Ladbrokes fixed odds at $4.00 despite drawing box five.

The Ladbrokes Chase is worth $1 million to the winner, second will collect $100,000 and third $45,000.

Poke the Bear, a son of Fernando Bale, has won $222,995 in prizemoney.

Victory tomorrow night would push him to $1,222,995, which would be third on the all time prizemoney earners for Australia.

Fanta Bale has $1,365,175 and Fernando Bale $1,299,370.

Nobody would suggest that Poke the Bear is as good as that pair. But he's very handy nonetheless.

Trainers defy rain with three winners

TRAINERS Jason Aylward and Reg Hazelgrove were the high achievers in racing at the Ipswich Showgrounds this past week.

Both trained three winners.

Chipping in with doubles were Tony Brett, John Hill and John McCarthy.

The Ipswich Turf Club has been having a difficult time lately with all the rain that's been around. But it's all systems go for the Showgrounds today and tomorrow.

The first race today is at 3.14pm and tomorrow is a 5.06pm start.

The next feature events are the Corporate Dollars and City of Ipswich Gold Cup next month.

Consider this

MONEY can't buy you happiness. But you could buy a big yacht, on which to be sad.

Originally published as Top Gun stayers in champagne form