Veteran Verne Lands Darwin Spoils

VETERAN chaser Verne Allen ensured Enzo and Graham Crudeli's first Darwin Cup campaign was a successful one with a rampaging victory in the Group 3 feature on Sunday night.

Making their first foray to the top end for the Ladbrokes-sponsored feature, the WA father-and-son training combination qualified three runners for the $25,000 to-the-winner finale, with Verne Allen, recent kennel acquisition Two Times Twice and Dyna Oscar each finishing runner-up in their respective heats.

In Sunday night's final, it was Verne Allen who landed the group 3 feature over kennel-mate Two Times Twice, the winner recording 31.34 to score by 1 ¾ lengths.

The third of Crudelis' runners, Dyna Oscar, had a luckless run in transit finishing last.

"The trifecta would have been nice but you can't really ask for more than the quinella – it was a great result," said Graham Crudeli en route to the airport on Monday.

"I thought we were a good chance in the final as it was a very open race.

"Whenever Verne Allen draws down near the fence he's a chance in his races, he just loves the rails. It looked like he might get a nice run through early behind the red and that's how it worked out. Two Times Twice ran great as well, the other dog (Dyna Oscar) didn't have a lot of luck."

Purchased off Paul Wheeler in a package deal last November, Verne Allen, a son of Fernando Bale and Irma Bale, has proven to be a terrific money-spinner since making his way to Crudeli's Western Australia kennels.

"His form lately has been very good – he's been racing the best dogs in WA and he's never far away," added Crudeli.

"It's been a pretty good buy that, Hecton Bale and Dyna Dean were part of that group of dogs' we bought as well, it really has turned out great.

"We'd been looking at getting up to Darwin for the cup for a while and decided to make the trip this year with a lot of our dogs not being suitable for the Nationals.

"We flew up and back and the result has made it worthwhile. The family came up for the final as did Two Times Twice's owners' … we had a good couple of days. We put a $1000 on the bar after the win on Sunday night … I couldn't tell you what time we left the track, it was a good night."

Verne Allen's Group 3 Darwin Cup victory was the 19th of his 133 start career, his prizemoney earnings swelling past $150,000 with Sunday's $25,000 winner's cheque.

Meanwhile, Graham Crudeli told the Recorder that his in-form stayer Boom Down will be targeted towards the Sydney Cup at Wentworth Park in October, the final to be staged on TAB Million Dollar Final night, Friday October, 18.

"He's won three in a row at Cannington now and has really hit his straps," added Crudeli.

"He's raced well at Wenty in the past so all things being equal we'll look to head to Sydney for that when it comes around."