Pringle Lands Coonamble Maiden ‘Bucks'

DAVID Pringle enjoyed a Coonamble Long Weekend Carnival to remember, landing seven races, including first and third in the flagship event of the three-day event, the $10,000 to-the-winner Ladbrokes Gold Maiden Final (305m).

Venturing to Coonamble for yet another Carnival from his Clergate base, Pringle's unwavering faith in his underrated sire Buck Fever was well and truly to the fore, his January 2017 whelped litter by the son of Brett Lee out of top producer Midnight Capers securing no less than seven wins across the three-day event, pocketing prizemoney a tick over $15,000.

"We took the nine dogs up – all from the same litter – and got seven winners, five of them individual and I think we made seven finals so we couldn't be happier, it was a terrific weekend, always is," declared Pringle on Tuesday morning.

"We'd earmarked the Carnival for a while with these pups and went up a couple of times to trial, there are 10 in the litter but one of them did a toe in the lead-up so she stayed at home and a few of them were more forward than others."

Leading Pringle's charge in the Ladbrokes Gold Maiden Final (305m) on Monday was About The South and Spooky Exit, winners of their respective heats on the Saturday in 17.84 and 17.78. The fastest qualifier for the final was the Bob Giltinan-trained Wildash Jakey in a flying 17.27, incidentally a son of Pringle's Wentworth Park track record holder, Shakey Jakey.

"When Spooky Exit drew box eight in his heat I thought he'd be very hard to beat, than I saw some of the trainers we were up against – Dennis Barnes, Charmaine Roberts, Ray Smith and I probably wasn't as confident!" said Pringle.

"He (Spooky Exit) came from well back and got up to win his heat by a neck and of the whole litter he's the one I've got the highest hopes for – he didn't have much of a preparation heading to Coonamble and his run to finish third in the final behind his brother About The South (box one) was outstanding. He missed it three lengths and only got beaten for second by a neck."

Landing Monday's $10,000 to-the-winner Gold Maiden Final with box 1 runner About The South capped off a big weekend for Pringle, who has long been chasing success in the Long Weekend feature maiden.

"We've been after it for a while and it's a race I can tick off the list now, the dog's (About The South) effort to run down the leader was very good," said Pringle.

"We bought the two dogs in the Calcutta as well and got them pretty cheap – first prize was about $12,000 and we had a punt on the dog's we thought could win as well, so overall it was a great few days, plus the Storm getting beaten in the Grand Final wasn't bad either!"

The outstanding results from the weekend are another feather in the cap for Pringle's ill-fated sire Buck Fever, underrated and underutilized by breeders during his time at stud.

"I can't work it out, his results speaks for itself," said Pringle of Buck Fever, who stands his son Burn One Down at stud, winner of 34 races and half-a-million dollars in prizemoney.

"I've only got a few straws left of Buck now and I'll use him 100% when the right bitch is here, I can't believe he didn't get more support from breeders but you can only hit your head up against a brick wall for so long!"

Following a red-letter few days of racing, Pringle also heaped praised on the Carnival's major backers led by Ladbrokes, along with the Coonamble GRC and event organizer Kevin Gordon.

"Kevin does an unbelievable job putting the Carnival together, I don't know how he does it all," stated Pringle.

"The way the whole program is mapped out works perfectly and to see full fields on the Monday for the finals – against how it was a decade ago – says the prizemoney is there to attract owners and trainers which is what the weekend is and should be about. A big thanks to the sponsors as well, from Ladbrokes right down to the $500 sponsors, they all play their part."

Pringle also made special mention of his outstanding brood-bitch Midnight Capers, the 2012 Group 1 National Futurity winner proving a revelation in the breeding barn, responsible for over 130 race wins and $250,000 in prizemoney.

"I don't think she'll have another litter, she's ready for full retirement on the lounge," said Pringle with pride.

"She was never the fastest dog when she raced but she was a great racer and she's taken that into the breeding barn with her pups.

“We sold one of the bitches Closing Midnight after the Carnival to people in SA and might look to sell one or two more. It's only early but I'm confident Spooky Exit has a real future – he needs to get over 500 yards but he could be the one to head down to Melbourne and really go on with it."