Proper Lilly opens up a good lead in the straight during the Armidale Cup on Saturday. Photo: Grant Robertson 160213GRB07
VISITING husband and wife owner/trainers Charlie and Toni Northfield not only took out the Armidale Cup (520m) on Saturday with Proper Lilly but also won the Barry Mitchell Appreciation 5th Grade Final (440m) with her sister Knocka Jess.
In fact the Stratheden pair won three of the 10 races on the card and took home most of the prizemoney thanks to the feature race victories.
They qualified two dogs in each of those finals and were lucky enough to draw the one box in both.
Proper Lilly won the $2000 cup after jumping well and staying clear of the field.
“We knew that if she jumped, the others would have a hard time catching her,” Toni Northfield said.
“The other littermate, the six (Erin Norris), we knew wasn’t going to go the distance.
“We were hoping this one would get out in front and do some blocking.
“But once she was in front they weren’t going to chase her down.”
The black bitch only just scraped into the final after finishing third in her heat last week.
Toni Northfield said Proper Lilly had some difficulty with the track but overcame that in the final.
“With the two bridges on the track, because she hadn’t raced here before, she baulked a bit on the bridges,” she said.
“But after having a look at the track last week she went a lot better this week.”
Proper Lilly won it by six and a half lengths from Garry Streatfield’s Glenreagh Magic with another of his charges, Noir Lee, claiming third a further two and a quarter lengths back.
In the $1000 fifth grade decider, Knocka Jess also drew box one.
The Northfields call the brindle bitch “Ruby” so it was appropriate she wore the red as she backed up her heat win from seven days earlier with another success in the final.
“She jumped clear again and led all the way,” Toni Northfield said.
“She got to the rail and they couldn’t chase her down.
“We actually thought the other kennelmate, the three (Kingsbrae Nocker), might have got the track record.
“But once Ruby got in front of them they weren’t going to get her.
“It was a good time (25.27 seconds) too.”
It was a quinella for the Northfields, with Kingsbrae Nocker running second, three quarters of a length behind her half sister.
Keira’s Charm (Brad Sabotic) was well back in third.
Drawing the one box in both races was a stroke of luck but the littermates are also showing plenty of ability and might be racing at the TAB tracks in the near future.
“The one is a big advantage here, especially in finals,” Toni Northfield said.
“That’s the box you want.
“Lilly has only just started running over the 520 distance but she’s going well and she’ll just go on.
“We go to Lismore and Casino a lot and she might go there.”
The Northfields also won an earlier race, with another half brother of the final winners, Forex Allan, taking out the New England Mutual 5th Grade (365m).
