Johnson's Gold Collar Grand Slam

LEITH trainer Gary Johnson's great winning strike rate rolled on at Launceston last Monday week when kennelmates Buckle Up Izy, Buckle Up Axon and Buckle Up Kiona ran the trifecta in the Simon's Carpet One Gold Collar Final.

 The Johnson kennel held all aces in the $5,000 to-the-winner final with six runners engaged.

Classy pup Buckle Up Axon led the charge for the Johnsons six runners from box three as a $1.90 favourite, while Old Beach trainer Michael Sutcliffe had the other two runners.

 Raced and bred by Gary's wife Robyn Johnson, Buckle Up Izy, at her 13th start, led from box rise before staving off a late charge from Buckle Up Axon to score by ¾ of a length in 30.13. Buckle Up Kiona was four lengths away in third.

"It's great to see Buckle Up Izy get a big win like this – she's been running well," Robyn Johnson said.

"There is no better feeling then breeding and racing your own and Izy's litter mates are all good performers. Everything has gone the right way now and to get six runners in a final is a huge achievement for Gary and myself."

By Johnson's home-bred sire and former champion sprinter Buckle Up Wes, Buckle Up Izy is out of America Bale, a winner of eight races and $8,885 in prizemoney and a litter brother to Walt Bale, a winner of 14 races in Western Australia for Enzo Crudeli.

The first three placegetters are sired by Buckle Up Wes, giving him another top-shelf breeding achievement.

Victory in the 80^th renewal of the Gold Collar brought up another win to trainer Gary Johnson's brilliant record, with 30 wins and 66 minor placings from a staggering 270 starts, puts him second on the Launceston trainer's premiership board for the year.

"We've never had that many runners in a final before and to win the Gold Collar is a race that has eluded us for quite some time, Buckle Up Gaye was a good bitch and she finished third to Jethro in 2011 which was our best effort," added Robyn.

"Buckle Up Izy has been there about in some feature races, she jumped well in the final and got all the right breaks and once she led it was going to make for a really good race. Buckle Up Axon has been in the best form and he ran a super race and so did Buckle Up Kiona."

Buckle Up Wes retired off a stellar career in 2015, winning 30 races and $551,965 in prizemoney.

From seven litters the son of Collision and Everlong Bale has sired 18 individual winners with his Tasmanian Sprint Championship winning daughter Buckle Up Rose the star in recent months, winning 11 of 51 starts.

The America Bale litter combined have won 14 races from 86 career starts from mating of ten pups.

"This litter have shown plenty of ability and there is not one slouch in litter, Buckle Up Tatum has gone through a slight bad patch and was in need for a spell, she is coming back, and her trials are really promising so we are looking forward to her return," Johnson told.

"These two litters have created plenty of interest for Buckle Up Wes and there is a couple of smart bitches going to him later in the year, so all things are going well for his stud career."