Buckle Up Rose's Thrilling Sprint Title Win

TRAINER Gary Johnson celebrated another major race victory when Buckle Up Rose produced the best performance of her career on Thursday night, taking out the Crocmedia Tasmanian Sprint Championship (515m) at Launceston.

Emulating the deeds of her state-championship winning sire Buckle Up Wes, who took out the title in 2014, Buckle Up Rose made it five straight wins in succession, bursting clear on the corner to record a sensational victory from box two.

The daughter of Jamila Flex set the time standard for the state qualifier in her heat the previous week, clocking a sizzling 29.68, a best of the night performance in the series, and after drawing box two for the $5,030 to-the-winner final, started favourite at $2.60.

Buckle Up Rose began well wearing the black and white striped rug but had to settle fourth in the early stages, as Dooper ($6) mustered pace on the inside to take the lead.

Taking the lead off the back, Buckle Up Rose swooped around Gold Lenny and Dooper as they locked together, while Apollo Blue moved into second and chased after the leader, but the black bitch kept going on strongly in the straight to score by 4 ¼ lengths in 30.00.

Victory in the state qualifier was the Johnsons fourth success as breeders, starting with Buckle Up Tina in the Tasmanian Distance Championship back in 2007, while Buckle Up Wes and Buckle Up Beneau have tasted Tasmanian Sprint Championship glory.

Owner/breeder Robyn Johnson was overwhelmed with her home-bred chasers' performance.

"It was absolutely nerve racking when she didn't jump at the start," Johnson stated.

"When Gold Lenny (four) and Dooper (one) headed Buckle Up Rose through the turn I though she was in trouble. When she got room she simply took after them and when they bunched together she flew around them and pulled away which showed her field sense."

The Leith-based kennel are riding a wave of success, having taken out the J G Nelson Cup with Buckle Up Rose, indicating she was on target for the series, posting top-class performances in both the heat and final of the division two series recently.

"Campaigning at Launceston over the last few weeks showed that Buckle Up Rose has taken to a track that can be unforgiving for some, this bitch has five wins in a row and her early speed is definitely crucial with great tenacity to negotiate any challenge," Robyn added.

Buckle Up Rose was the slowest of the break-ins in the litter of 11 pups according to Johnson.

"By far the slowest of the lot, but over time she has improved in her own way and what makes it special is we bred this litter and we own all the pups, Buckle Up Wes is a dog we thought deserved a chance at stud and thankfully this litter has done very well.

"We made the decision a few years back to really be smart with our breeding and put the money to buy some quality bitches, thanks to the help of Rob Camilleri we were able to buy Everlong Bale who is the mother of Buckle Up Wes.

"The Wheeler family has been extremely kind and supportive to us in allowing to buy into their bloodline and we can't thank them enough," Johnson detailed.

Drawn box eight in the Group 1 $75,000 National Sprint Championship at Sandown Park in a fortnight's time, Robyn is well aware of the competition that her home-bred star will face but is confident that she will run 100%, no matter the result come the decider.

"Gary has planned to send Buckle Up Rose over to Victoria this week to trial at Sandown ahead of the final, so I think the trip away from home and a new track will be the experience that will do wonders for her and I'm definitely looking forward to the big night."