What do you get if you cross a Scottish Derby winner with a Coventry Golden Muzzle winner? Answer – a St.Leger winner . . . and a lot of shouting.
Carol Weatherall’s Calico Ranger produced the performance of his career to win the 2018 St.Leger at Perry Barr on Saturday night.
The market suggested that the race was at the mercy of Magical Icarus but when Dave Jean’s young dog stumbled at the traps, all bets were off.
John Mullins’ ultra consistent Minnies Highway assumed command followed by Ridgedale Max. Crossing the winning line for the first time the eventual winner and runner-up were in fourth and fifth places.
Ranger finally got his head in front coming into the last two bend but then faced a challenge from the powerful Slippy Maggie. As they crossed the line, the 35 kilo black had held on by three quarters of a length in 43.09.
It completed an unbeaten run through the event for the dog who made his racing debut over the 480m course 20 months earlier.
It wasn’t Ranger’s first major win, or final. Beaten at 4-7f in the 2017 RPGTV Puppy Final at Shawfield, and the same year’s spectacular Eclipse Final (featuring Bubbly Bluebird, Dorotas Wildcat, Bruisers Bullet, Droopys Expert, Calico Blackjack), his biggest win to date was in the £5,000 Mandy McCarthy Youngsters at Towcester, a race that contained Donation, The Other Reg and Droopys Gold.
Going for Saturday’s Cat 1 decider, his trainer made sure nobody jinxed his big race ‘by keeping out of the way’.
Carol said: “We had quite a few owners and friends from Sheffield in the restaurant but I went to stand on my own for the final. So often someone will come up to you and say ‘I think you’ll win this’, which is the kiss of death.
“So I watched him on parade with just a few butterflies. I thought he looked really well and we couldn’t have done any more, but when I saw who was behind him on the run-in, I knew it was far from a foregone conclusion. But by then I was shouting him home anyway. Nobody seemed to mind.
“I have no idea what we will do next. We weren’t thinking any further forward than last night.”
Calico Ranger was whelped and reared by Sean ‘Holdem’ Conway from Cookstown.
There were eight in the litter, four of each, by the Weatherall’s former Scottish Derby winner Holdem Spy out of Wont Fall Behind (Head Bound-Cornamaddy Daisy) who won the 2O13 Golden Muzzle. As versatile as her son, she ran third behind Ballymac Eske in the 2014 Three Step To Victory Final
All four dogs (‘Calicos’ Brandy, Whiskey and Blackjack) have won opens, as have sisters Calico Tiny and the subsequently disqualified Shreyas Solitair.
The other two sisters are Henlow grader Calico Willow and the injured Calico Remy.
Carol said: “Of all the litter Ranger reminds me most of his dad. He has a very similar stamp and eyes.
“The dam is with Sean and had a litter by Crash who should be qualifying shortly. Sean is also planning to breed with Remy. Holdem Spy is at Newpark Kennels but we plan to bring him home on our next visit to Ireland.”
