Bargain buy makes for a bettor” trip”””

As well-known Bathurst horseman Chris Frisby prepares to wind down another successful Queensland harness racing campaign, he can’t help but have a chuckle about a real surprise packet he unearthed.

Frisby is the first to admit that he purchased bay mare Fast Is Bettor (Bettors Delight-Fast And Flighty (Classic Garry) as an ideal broodmare prospect.

“Her family line traces back to brilliant Victorian pacer San Carlo- and he’s a pacer I’ve seen a fair bit of in recent years when we’ve tackled some of the big feature events!” he said.

But Fast Is Bettor now has Frisby in two minds about plans for the breeding barn, as the mare has so far registered four wins and five placings ($15,000 in stakes) in a pleasing few months of racing at Redcliffe and Albion Park.

And tomorrow night could just see the icing on the cake with the pacer one of the top chances in the $10,900 Sky Racing Marburg to Albion Park Final at the Brisbane track.

Frisby saw Fast Is Bettor racing around the Tamworth area and an offer of $3000 was accepted by the owners.

“Her dam is the Classic Garry-sired Fast And Flighty, who is a full sister to Bridge Player (six times winner), both being out of Ailsa. And Bridge Player produced San Carlo,” he said.

Bridge Player earned over $32,000 back in the late 1990s with wins at Yarra Glen, Kilmore, Stawell, Shepparton and a 2yo sires heat and 3yo event at Melbourne’s Moonee Valley circuit.

But it’s been in the breeding barn where she has excelled. Bridge Player produced Cullens Ace (11 wins) and Jerada Ace (four), both by Christian Cullen NZ; and Magic Spark (10), by Holmes Hanover USA.

The next one to get to the races was superstar San Carlo, who has won 30 of his 60 starts for stakemoney of more than $570,000.

Fast Is Bettor was trialled about a month after she joined the Frisby stable, but always one to call it as he sees it, the trainer described the performance as “not real good”.

“She got beaten by 90 metres! We went back a week later and this time she was about 40 metres behind them,” he said.

“At that point our son Anthony, who drove her, thought she wasn’t worth taking on the campaign up north. But we backed right off on her workload and she improved out of sight.”

Fast is Bettor is owned by Chris and his wife Judy, with Anthony and his wife Cait. The mare had dropped back through the handicap grades, which Frisby said had been a bonus.

“She’s just a pleasure to have around, and Shane Graham who has been driving her recently, just loves that she tries her heart out,” he said.

“Shane is adamant that she will make a nice broodmare too, though, so perhaps he’s trying to give me a little push in that direction! I will probably end up leaving her here and get her foals eligible for QBred – those horses are getting to be more expensive to buy now.”

The Frisby stable, based for the winter at Coolangatta near the Qld/NSW border, has registered 17 wins since arriving in mid-June.

“We started off with about a dozen horses, but had a bad run early days with infections and other minor issues. We had a slow start and the first four or five weeks were very trying,” he said.

“Anthony was up here then as well as Judy. Things gradually turned around with Jenden Strike winning the South East Oaks and Aunty Bella taking out the $21,000 Qbred Triad consolation for 2yo fillies as well as the Burwood Stud event.”

He Aint Fakin also impressed with two wins from two starts, including a $21,000 feature race for two-year-olds.

“And our bargain buy Fast Is Bettor just kept doing a job,” Frisby laughed.

A frequent annual visitor to Queensland since the 1980s, the popular horseman said his best record over the years of campaigning would be about 20 winners.

“I remember it well because we couldn’t stay all that long, but everything went right from the beginning,” he said.

Frisby also operates two outlets of Bedwells Feed Barn in the Central Tablelands and said he hoped to be able to stay up north for a few more weeks.

“I was ready to go home, but Anthony is happy for me to stay while the horses are showing form. He’d be going flat out at home because he’s training 16 as well as working in one of the shops,” Frisby said.

“I’m hoping one of our old favorites in Our Uncle Sam can regain some consistent form before we go. He was good early, but then went off the boil with a foot abscess.

“He’s had two wins and two placings and his last start third to Ashley Locaz and Colt Thirty One, when they got him in the shadows of the post, was solid.”

Terry Gange

NewsAlert PR Mildura