Octogenarian Bet Bet breeder-owner-trainer Ray Cross is enjoying a purple patch with his small but select team of squaregaiters at the moment.
The former Queenslander landed four winners in the space of just nine days with Jessicas Story at Melton, the three-year-old Itz Classic Gold and Romantic Nina at Maryborough and Nedza Thriller (Ballarat).
Though a devout fan of the straightout trotter, Cross actually cut his teeth in the sport with pacers in Toowoomba.
“I was training and driving about five horses and working at the meatworks at the same time,” he said.
“I broke in and trained and drove Keen Edge. He was the fastest horse in the southern hemisphere for a short time,” Ray said.
Another topliner brought out by Cross was The Emcee who won the Queensland Christmas Cup twice and numerous Free-for-alls at Albion Park.
Cross’s first foray into trotters was quite by chance.
“My first winner as a driver was in 1954 with Winona Potts. Her first foal was Scottish Larry, who won six or seven races as a pacer. One day I took him to an old thoroughbred blacksmith and converted him to a trotter. He won three at Harold Park for me,” Cross said.
The pacing bred Kate Au Penny was another smart trotter bred, owned and trained by Cross. She totted up 24 successes including two Queensland Marathons and qualified for the Inter Dominion Championship at Globe Derby Park in 2007.
The mainstay behind the recent successes being enjoyed by Cross and his wife Janelle is the Sundon broodmare Kumbya.
“She was put up for sale in foal to Great Success. She was in a paddock a few kilometres from where I was living and we bought her for $1200,” Ray said.
Kumbya left four foals for Cross and they have amassed 50 wins and $324,262 in stakes between them. They include Countess Chiron, a winner of 21 races and $149,493, and Romantic Nina, who has won 14 races to date and $85,260.
Honey Please, another of Kumbya’s offspring, won 11 races – nine in Victoria and two in Queensland – and is now the dam of the promising Itz Classic Gold.
Another successful broodmare for Cross has been the Dr Ronerail mare Im Rite Or Wrong.
“She won five races at Menangle. Her first foal was Ima Calvert Rose who we won five with before she was sold to Queensland,” Cross said.
“Her next foal was Jessicas Story which we gave to our son Donald.”
She has won 17 races so far including three at Melton and $96,415.
“I’ve got a three-year-old out of Im Rite Or Wrong by Speeding Spur whose ready to qualify,” Ray said.
Bettor’s Delight is the leading sire in Victoria at the half-way mark of the season with progeny earnings of $711,705. He is $50,000 ahead of the second placed Art Major, who leads the Victorian three-year-old sires’ premiership.
Ideal Miki, the runaway winner of the APG Adelaide 2YO Sales Classic at Globe Derby Park on Saturday, was bred and is raced by Undera enthusiast Neville Ismaili, of Ashdon Valley Racing.
Talented trotter Ijustcalledtosay, who scored a barnstorming win at Melton, was bred by Ballarat couple Chris Lang Jnr and his wife Haley from the Vicbred champion Betty Hall.
