Grubb Clean Sweeps Hobart Features

ROBIN Grubb's white-hot form continued at Hobart last Thursday night with the St. Leonards trainer landing the Big Moose Laurels with Peco Can and the M.A Morgan St. Leger with Hello Lenny.

Exceptional bitch Peco Can turned in arguably the best performance of her career to overcome serious checks in running to run down her litter sister Hello Rhonda, scoring by 1 ¼ lengths in a time of 26.15, bringing up her eighth win at Hobart.

Her time may not have been as quick as her previous seven outings, but it was the courageous effort that left trainer Robin Grubb in awe of his freakish home-bred sprinter.

"An amazing effort really," Robin Grubb beamed proudly of Peco Can.

"She was knocked first at the start when coming off the mat and really had to man-oeuvre around bitches like Muppet who wanted to get to the rail, then coming off the top corner her sister Hello Rhonda gave her a nice hip and shoulder when trying to rail underneath. For Peco to then balance up and hit the line was a gutsy effort.

"In the early days of her career people thought she was always going to be a quick beginner but when she started to miss the jump on occasions and still showed she had what it took to work through a field, it shows her determination."

The daughter of Fernando Bale produced a first in the history of the Laurels by emulating her classy mum Sing The Song in winning the all-female classic, with Grubb carrying fond memories, having finished first and second in the event in 2013 also.

Two races later last Thursday, Peco Can's litter-brother Hello Lenny gave dam Sing The Song a feature race double, when he charged to the lead coming off the back straight to land the M A Morgan St. Leger Final.

Luck and the right box draw were needed at the right time according to a very proud trainer.

"Hello Lenny deserves to win a big race – it was a tremendous thrill," told Robin.

"He missed the start slightly, but he got the right breaks and pulled out all stops to hold on when Rip The Bandaid challenged him in the home straight to win by a half-length. It certainly is a great feeling to have three handy pups all with their own good abilities."

Hello Lenny has now won four of his 15 starts in Tasmania, with career earnings of $13,790.

The Grubb kennel will opt to bypass the heats of the Tasmanian Gold Cup next Thursday at Hobart.

"I'll probably look to take Peco Can to Devonport for the Show Cup on November 20 and then all going well, we'll freshen her up and get her ready for the "big dance" in the Hobart Thousand heats," the trainer detailed.