Premier Trainer Returns From Covid Ban

In 2021, champion WA trainer Dave Hobby finished second on the national premiership with 344 winners while total prizemoney reached $1.88m.

Twelve months earlier, the result was much the same, 370 winners and $1.79m – again finishing second to Andrea Dailly – with an impressive winner-to-runner strike rate of 23 per cent.

A suspension from racing order by Racing and Wagering WA (due to not being vaccinated against Covid-19) forced Hobby to downsize his kennel and, on Tuesday at Mandurah, he handled his first starter since February 5 in a 405m maiden qualifying trial.

"I had to let staff go and some of Mike's (Quinsee) young dogs – which I whelped and reared – unfortunately had to be moved to other trainers," Hobby said.

With 28 of his own youngsters readying for maiden qualifying trials, the next six to eight weeks will be particularly busy for the Nambeelup-based trainer.

"I've got eight Fernando Bale – Corona Monelli pups which will be two in early October and really should have been racing now but everything was put on hold," Hobby added.

"Corona Monelli's first litter (by Barcia Bale) have won 86 races at more than $600,000 and all nine pups won races – Stout Monelli has been the best.

"The next lot are by Barcia Bale out of Flake Monelli and they're coming up 18 months old. She (Flake Monelli) won 30 races and is a half sister to Corona, so the decision to go Barcia Bale was logical.

"They've had an interrupted preparation … they produced a couple of early breaking in times which were exceptional, the quickest I've had but a bout of kennel cough forced me to give them a break."

Hobby's educational regime is quite simple.

"They get a couple 300''s then 405's at Mandurah before heading to Cannington – it's really the last 405m trial at Mandurah which gives a real insight into their strength to run ‘500'," he continued.

For the past two calendar years, Dave Hobby had 1634 (in 2020) and 1799 (in 2021) starters yet in eight months of 2022, he's just ticked over the century and 250 runners for the calendar year might be as good as it gets.

Quality not quantity will be Hobby's mantra in the short term and, aside from the outstanding Barcia Bale and Fernando Bale litters in full work, he's got more ‘ammo' up his sleeve.

Next in line is a Barcia Bale litter of eight out of Tommy Shelby's litter sister Kirra Monelli.

The April ‘21 litter of eight will be turning heads by year's end and there's no doubt Hobby will again be a force of nature in WA in 2023.