Boody Victorian Bound With Hollow Words

AMBER Boody will head to Victoria on Friday with a specific training program in a bid to win the rich National Straight Track Championship at Healesville with Hollow Words.

The son of Barcia Bale and Earned Talking won his place in the rich final when a half-length victor of the Capalaba final on Sunday at the juicy odds of $14 beating Certification and Dusty's Charlie.

Amber wants to get two trials up the Healesville straight into Hollow Words before the final to make sure he knows the track.

“With the lure on the rail, I want to make sure he gets two trials up Healesville into him so he knows what to expect in the final,” said Amber.

“He is only used to chasing the drag lure up the middle of Capalaba and on our straight track at home.”

Hollow Words is a promising youngster who has won five of his 17 starts and already been a finalist in the Group 3 Vince Curry Maiden at Ipswich earlier in the year.

He is a grandson of Top Talker who Amber's brother-in-law bred by Gable Lafourche from Mockingbird Hill. Top Talker was a litter sister to Group 1 star One Tree Hill.

“This dog's mother was a very good race bitch by High Earner-Top Talker,” said Amber of Earned Talking.

“She won 12 races and most of those were over 431 metres at Ipswich. We gave her a few 520 metre races but she could not quite get it.”

Earned Talking now has a one pup repeat mating to Barcia Bale.

Despite his $14 starting price, Amber said she was confident Hollow Words could win the Capalaba final.

“His litter brother Burning Arrow had beaten Certification at Capalaba a few weeks before, and Burning Arrow could not beat Hollow Words,” she said.

Amber said she had found two warts on her dog's feet early in the week and once removed, was always confident he would improve rapidly for the final.

Joining Hollow Words in representing Queensland in the August 18 final is Certification and Dusty's Charlie, second and third in Sunday's Capalaba decider.

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PANHANDLE Slim, on the comeback trail after tearing both stopper tendons, has an ace card up his sleeve for the Murray Bridge final of the National Straight Track Championship.

Breeder, owner and trainer Ray Murray has been patient with Panhandle Slim (Kalden Komoto-Sometimes Speedy) since returning from Victoria where he raced under the care of Seona Thompson.

“Therein lies a bit of an ace card for us if we happen to win the Murray bridge final,” said Ray.

“The dog went up Healesville (scene of the rich Straight Track final) quite often when trialling so he knows the track well and he went very well there.”

Panhandle Slim was first-up since March when winning his heat at Murray Bridge in a fast 19.23.

“It is a very, very good final with all the best dogs making it through,” said Murray. “I cannot split any of them.”

Panhandle Slim was almost ready to resume from the stopper tendon injuries a couple of months ago but for an accident when trialling at Angle Park.

“He pulled up on the finish on lure but rolled three times,” said Murray. “I had to give him another month off.”

Murray is also represented by Steel (Barcia Bale-Amadeus Strikes) in the final.

The veteran is the winner of 27 races and placed 49 times in a 106-start career.

“Kate Gorman sent him over to me to train,” said Murray. “He was a giveaway initially and I asked Kate if she knows of any more giveaways like him.”