Bearded Midget will return to Wentworth Park shortly after proving he had recovered from a worrying back injury by winning a 400m Bulli heat last Wednesday in a slick 22.52.
Trainer Ron Hoogenboom plans to head back to Wentworth Park after Bearded Midget contests Wednesday night’s Bulli 400m final.
Bearded Midget’s problems began when he finished seventh in a heat of the Bulli Gold Cup, won by Victorian star Walk Hard, on May 21.
“My dog and Walk Hard went to the first turn together but then Bearded Midget dropped back so suddenly it looked as if someone had shot him,’’ Ron said.
“When he cooled down I discovered he had a severe back injury and it took nearly eight weeks of manipulation and lasering treatment to get him right again.’’
Bearded Midget led throughout at Wentworth Park on April 25 in a nippy 30.16 and will be chasing his eighth win in only 17 starts at Bulli this week.
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Andrew Rowe chalks up 1600km a week fulfilling his duties as mechanical lure driver and greyhound trainer but says he wouldn’t swap his job “for the world''.
A genuine lover of the sport, Andrew took time off from operating the lure at Wentworth Park and Dapto race meetings to train Overstocked to victory in last Wednesday’s 400m Maiden Final at Richmond.
“I think Overstocked will run 500 metres and expect him to get better because he is a big 32kg dog and those 400 metre bend starts don’t really suit him,’’ Andrew said.
“But I got a special buzz from the Richmond win because I train Overstocked for Peter Spiteri, who has been a client of mine for many years and who broke in this dog himself.
“Peter owned Neat Irish, the dam of Overstocked, and I trained her to win 10 races.
“Her first litter to Bit Chilli produced Irish Sapphire, winner of 14 races, and Coco Miss, who has won six, while seven of the nine pups to race from Neat Irish’s second litter, by Collision, which includes Overstocked, have won races.
“Sadly Neat Irish died of bone cancer just before Christmas so this litter is pretty special for us.
“I have five greyhounds in work and drive the lure at Dapto every Thursday, at most Wentworth Park Friday and Saturday night meetings, and at the Wenty trials every third Tuesday.
“Without the support of my wife Debbie I couldn’t do it because when I leave home at Goulburn at 1pm to drive the lure somewhere or take dogs to the races she is there to do the hard yards in the afternoon.
“I was born and bred around greyhounds with my father ERNIE, who passed away late last year, a long time committeeman of both the Dapto greyhound club and show society and who at one stage trained Fast Sapphire, winner of the 1980 National Sprint Championship.
“So I virtually grew up on Dapto dog track.’’
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Valentine (Newcastle) trainer Stevan Vas won both heats of the Maitland Mercury Maiden Series last Wednesday with littermates Princess Jeteye and Jeteye Knight but believes their brother, who finished fifth in his heat, is quicker.
“In trials Emperor Jeteye, who ran fifth to Princess Jeteye, is a bit faster,’’ Stevan said.
“I kept six puppies from my bitch Jeteye’s litter to Dyna Tron and there is no more than three lengths between them all.
“These are the following litter to my Wentworth Park winner Master Jeteye, while Jeteye has another litter, 13 months old, by Prince Diablo.
“She had four litters altogether but has been retired from breeding and is a pet now.
“I plan to find the quickest bitch from this litter by Dyna Tron and keep her for breeding purposes later on.’’
