Patched Up Adam's Top Return

"Talk about a fairy tale."

That was the reaction from an ecstatic Max Rimmer after his pride and joy Patch Adam celebrated a remarkable comeback from an injury-ravaged 14 months by qualifying for Friday night's Group 2 Sires On Ice Black Top at Ladbrokes Gardens.

Patch Adam, a January '15 son of Black Magic Opal and Limited Addition, bred/owned and trained by Rimmer and wife Helen, was having only his third start since June 17, 2017, when he contested last Friday's heats of the $40,000 to-the-winner Black Top.

A career-threatening hock fracture initially sidelined Patch Adam for ten months and he'd subsequently been restricted to just two appearances since resuming in April by groin and pad injuries.

"In June last year he had two chips in his hock and had two screws put in to hold the chips together," Max Rimmer explained.

"Dave Larratt at Wallsend Vet Hospital did a great job with him but I'd never had a dog that's done a hock before so I didn't know what to expect. Everyone was telling me they never come back or they might come back but they'll never be as good as they were before.

"I was always hopeful but I was never confident.

"We took him along very slowly and it was seven months before he trialled. He hadn't showed any signs at all but then all of a sudden he put in a really good time at home. I took him over to The Gardens and he's not a 400m dog but he ran 22.47, which is absolutely motoring.

"Then he ran 29.51 in a stewards trial at The Gardens and I was thinking he might have got it back. We started him at The Gardens but he ran fifth and tore a groin muscle, which kept him out for another couple of weeks. Then at his next start he got clawed and ripped a pad open.

"When the pad healed he trialled 29.70 at The Gardens and I said to my missus that he mightn't be up with the big boys yet, although he ran home in 12.12, which is a pretty smart run home time. Helen said we'll give him a go in the Black Top and see what happens. She's the trainer; I just do what I'm told!"

After another frustrating three months on the sidelines, Patch Adam returned in the seventh of eight cut-throat Black Top heats, where he started at $10.20 from box two, with Jason Mackay's track record holder Zipping Bailey the $3.30 favourite.

Patch Adam settled third behind fancied interstaters Go Lassie Go ($3.50) and Despacito ($3.80) before railing into second in the back straight and setting out after tearaway leader Go Lassie Go.

In a training triumph for the Rimmers, Patch Adam hooked to the outside turning for home and stormed to victory, defeating the fast-finishing Zipping Bailey by three-quarters in 29.43, his 11^th win from 29 starts and fifth from eight at The Gardens.

"He's a once in a lifetime dog," Rimmer said.

"It was amazing. He's just a full-on competitor and I think that's the reason he's come back not too bad.

"People were asking me at the track about how he was going before his heat and I told them I wouldn't be backing him, not even at 10/1. I thought he could run 29.50 but I expected them to go quicker than that.

"When he went past Despacito on the inside, half-way down the back, I knew he'd be hard to beat, even though Go Lassie Go was about six in front. He does his best work from the 600m boxes home. He really puts in at the end of his races; he's thinking he's got to get them!

"That was only his second 500 in nine weeks and I thought his tongue would be hanging out. But by the time Beverley Sloan, who caught him, walked him back, he was breathing normal. He's pulled up really well, he's feeling good, looking good and jumping around when I get him out of the kennels."

Patch Adam's victory over Zipping Bailey denied Jason Mackay, who won the 2017 Black Top with Mister Twister, a heat treble, following the earlier victories of Zipping Tayla, a litter sister to Zipping Bailey, in 29.39 and True Talent in 29.46.

Qualifying honours went to Set To Storm, trained by Jodie Lagogiane, which clocked 29.27, while the other heat winners were Black Forge (29.36), Kiarni Velvet (29.51), Hello Robbo (29.53) and My Gal Penny (29.61).

Despite his barnstorming heat triumph, Patch Adam is a $13 outsider in Bet365's Black Top market after drawing box five, with Zipping Tayla and Black Forge joint $3 favourites.

"Five isn't the best box for him because he's not the best beginner," Rimmer offered.

"We're hoping he can settle in third or fourth position and if he gets a clear run he can balance up and try to run them down. He runs a beautiful bend, which he showed last week.

"He really likes The Gardens. The only two times he's missed a place there have been since he's come back, when he hurt his groin and then got stabbed in the foot. Before he did his hock last year he ran 29.18 in a trial there, when the record was 29.21.

"I don't know whether he's up to this crowd at the moment but in another couple of weeks he'll be a nice dog. If he is able to win on Friday I think the locals will lift the roof off the grandstand!"