Waterloo Wins Ashton Battle

VETERAN South Australian trainer Barry Stewart only has two race dogs in his suburban Adelaide kennel; however the 70-year-old remarkably finished first and third in last Thursday night's Group 3 Howard Ashton Final at Angle Park.

Stewart, who still works as an insurance broker, was back on the job on Friday, just hours after superbly-bred outsider Waterloo Kate won the SA-bred Howard Ashton at only her ninth start, with kennelmate Springvale Choix running an unlucky third.
Waterloo Kate, a May '16 daughter of Fernando Bale and Hope's Up, the 2012 SA Greyhound of the Year and a half-sister to 2016 National Sprint champion Worm Burner, was purchased at the Adelaide Greyhound Racing Club Auction by club members Barry Stewart, Gavin Harris, Stewart Barber and race caller Ray Fewings for $9000.
"We bought Waterloo Kate off Cameron Butcher (breeder) for $3500 to put in the Auction and then we bought her for $9000 at the Auction," Barry Stewart said.
"It was a bit over the top and I was thinking what have we done but the club made money out of it and she's paid for herself now, so everyone's happy!
"I was surprised Ray (Fewings) didn't get more excited calling the race. He's a true professional. Gavin (Harris) had been in Europe and he only made it to the track two minutes before the race. His flight got back at 8.00 and the race was at 9.10. He was glad he made it!"
Waterloo Kate won on debut at Angle Park, but was then beaten at her next seven starts, qualifying for the $25,000 to-the-winner Howard Ashton after running second in her heat and third in her semi-final, where she started at $34 and $41 respectively.
After drawing box one for the final, Waterloo Kate started at $16, with kennelmate Springvale Choix, a March '16 son of Magic Sprite and Bon Choix, owned by Barry Stewart and Gavin Harris, the $3.50 favourite from box four.
Waterloo Kate took advantage of her rails draw to race clear when there was trouble on the first turn and she kept going strongly to defeat Minacious by 3.5 lengths in a moderate 30.33, her second win from nine starts, with Springvale Choix a close third.
"The race was only for SA bred dogs and the time wasn't there but they don't put the time on the cheque!" Stewart laughed.
"Springvale Choix has got a motor and I thought if he got a clear run he would win. He got into trouble and lost about eight or nine lengths and he was only beaten two or three so he was a bit stiff. He'll get 600 and 700 down the track.
"I thought Waterloo Kate should nearly have won her semi-final – she was only beaten a length and a half – but I didn't like her drawing one because when she boxes she goes to the right. If she hadn't got hit on the first turn it was probably a 30.00 – 30.10 run and she came home in 13 dead, which isn't bad.
"She's still a work in progress. She hasn't had a lot of starts and she's not race savvy yet. She's gradually improving but how far she'll go I don't know. She hasn't shown us she's a free-for-all dog at this stage. She could surprise us but she needs to find four or five lengths.
"I only got to train her by default because Springvale Choix and one of the other pups we had didn't like each other. They almost came to blows so I spoke to Gavin (Harris) and we swapped the other dog for Waterloo Kate.
"I've had some good dogs over the years. I owned Bay Supreme with Don Foster. She was the mother of True Temptation, which was the mother of Token Prince. I ran second in the National Distance Championship in 1994 with Tilka Lass, which was beaten by Miss Cruise. I also made an Adelaide Cup Final with Saucy Silver."