Sennachie Set For Brisbane Gold Rush

SENNACHIE will be chasing more group 1 glory when the son of Fernando Bale starts favourite for Friday night's Group 1 Gold Bullion Final.

Sennachie etched his name into the record books winning last year's Brisbane Cup in track record time and after his thrilling Golden Ticket win sent him directly into Friday night's Gold Bullion Final, the dog has a chance to create a lasting legacy for Victorian trainer Steve White.

After winning the Golden Ticket in grand fashion, Sennachie has been given no favours with a tough draw in Friday's final, with White believing he must find a couple of lengths early to win the $150,000 to-the-winner race.

"The box (five) draw hasn't done us any favours, he's going to have to be at his very best to come out and cross the inside brigade early;it's another challenge," White said.

"Box draws have the potential to win group races and can also cost you group races, I'm certainly not putting a line through him he's a winning chance against any field in Australia, but it's made it a lot harder.

"He's been running around 5.55 to the first mark at Albion (Park) and realistically he needs to get somewhere down in the 5.40 range, which he has done on previous occasions. There's just no room for error."

The tendencies of dogs around Sennachie will make it hard early as will brothers Feral Franky and Good Odds Harada, both impressive heat winners last week.

"Charming Chaos in the red is quick early and wants to get off the track and Fernando Blaster has the ability to ping the lids and likes to get up the track from inside us, if we can clear those two and skip away nothing will run the time he can," White said.

"When you get to this level you expect to be racing dogs like Feral Franky and Good Odds Harada on a regular basis and there's never much between them.

"The other two trump us with their draws, Feral Franky should find the fence behind Charming Chaos and Good Odds Harada will be given plenty of room to move from the three, our ace in the hole is obviously the time he can run, if he can produce something around his 29.38 mark, they can't run that."

Timing is everything with dogs and White didn't miss a beat to have his charge peaking at the right time, bringing the dog up three weeks ago to prepare for his Brisbane summer campaign.

"He's one of those dogs that the more runs you get into him the better he gets," White said.

"I thought he was a bit light on coming off the Feral Franky match race so I got him up to Mick Zammit's place a week out from the Golden Ticket to give him a trial. He improved again in the heat and peaked for the final; it worked out really well.

"We've just got to hold him there till Friday now, we went and gave him a post to post at Albion Park on Sunday and he went super, so we're just resting up till Friday now."

Sennachie is arguably already one of the greats at Albion Park with the fastest two 520m runs of all time but a Gold Bullion win could make him the stuff of legend in Queensland.

"Brisbane has been great to us, winning his first Group 1, a track record, now a Group 3 and a shot at winning an inaugural Group 1he's got a real chance to go down in history as one of the best dogs to race there if he can pull it off," White said.

"His only defeat was when he was severely interfered with in the Flying Amy, he's such an honest chaser and I expect him to make his own luck again (Friday)."

As with all great champions they have a shelf life and while White is keen to cement the dogs racing legacy he could prove even better at stud. 

"I don't think we'll see a full year of racing out of him; I'll take him home after Friday and head towards the Temlee and Australian Cup and take stock after that," White said.

"He's got a big career ahead of him at stud and as much pride we take in his racing, his progeny could prove just as good.

"I'll try to take him out while he's still at his best and given his resume we're spoilt for choices where to go with him, so I'll take my time with that."

Sennachie is not the only Fernando Bale x Rhonda Rocks star on display Friday night with kennelmate Red Rock ready to make a splash over the 600 metres in the Clem Jones Cup.

"He should be really hard to roll from the inside draw (1)," White said.

"He trialled well last week, 35 flat first look at the track which I was pleased with.

"Hopefully he can follow his brothers' pattern and take a few tenths off over the next few weeks, I'm planning to keep him up there for the Group 3 Gold Sands next week."

Red Rock has only recently graduated to the longer trip but a couple of stylish victories has ensured him a future over the journey.

 

  

 

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