Trainer Jason Fletcher landed an outstanding double with litter brothers Fantastic Mick and Fantastic Pete at Maitland on Thursday and will produce the fastest of the litter, Fantastic Sid, at Wentworth Park tonight.
At Maitland Fantastic Mick won over 450m in a sizzling 25.07 while Fantastic Pete was equally impressive, overcoming a bad start to win easily over 400m in a slick 22.52.
“Those two are named after good mates of mine while I reserved my father’s name, Sid, for the fastest one,’’ Fletcher said.
“Fantastic Sid trialled 29.75 after the last race at Wentworth Park last Monday night but unfortunately he has drawn box eight in Monday's Download The Dogs App Stakes.
“He is obviously very talented but is desperate for an inside box.
“They are exciting young dogs and the two which won at Maitland on Thursday are both looking for longer distances too.’’
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Aussie Quoted, who made an impressive race debut winning a 400m maiden heat at Bulli last Wednesday in a slick 22.52, is bred to be a world beater.
Owned and trained at Telopea by Ian Morgan, Aussie Quoted is a grandson of Best Quoted, who was part-owned by Ian and who won five group races, including the Sandown Cup, SA Distance Championship and Easter Chase.
Aussie Quoted is from the first litter produced by Best Quoted’s daughter Now Quoted, who has a second litter by Bit Chili currently being educated.
While Aussie Quoted, just 24 months old, won over the short course at Bulli and will contest the 400m final on Wednesday, the dog is bred to run further and Ian says additional distance won’t be a worry.
“Aussie Quoted has had a few injury problems, but he has already shown me he can run 500m," Morgan said. "In February he trialled 30.70 over 535 metres at Richmond.
“He broke down after that which is why he has only just started racing.’’
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Jimmy Higgins, who trained the 2008 Peter Mosman Classic winner Lend Us Fifty, was back in the winner’s circle after a long break when Bomber Brown won at Bulli last Wednesday.
Bomber Brown is a son of Jacklin Brown, who won 17 races including three in succession at Wentworth Park in 2010, and is part-owned by Stuart Brown, who raced that John Boersma-trained greyhound.
Bomber Brown won a heat over 400m at Bulli in a nippy 22.67 and will contest the final this Wednesday.
“I think he will be a better dog around two turns because he is such a good railer so after Wednesday’s race I intend taking him to Wentworth Park to give him a post to post hand-slip with a view to racing him there,’’ Jimmy said yesterday.
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Great to see the Coonamble club once again staging the DAVE Fordham Memorial as part of its October long weekend carnival.
DAVE Fordham was a legend in the 1950s and 60s and had such a long history in the sport his registration card was number nine.
After returning from World War II DAVE Fordham was given a soldiers’ settler block and took up mixed farming at Armatree, between Gilgandra and Coonamble.
But greyhounds were soon his priority and he raced champions Armatree Chief, Armatree’s Flame, the Bill Dogan-trainer Wentworth Park sprint star Armatree Seal and
crack Harold Park stayer Armatree’s Idol, which he sold to a client of Paul Cauchi, Sydney’s leading trainer.
DAVE Fordham’s father Claude had been a greyhound trainer before World War II and these days DAVE’s grandson Craig, 39, continues the family tradition, farming sheep and crops on his grandfather’s property where he breeds two litters of greyhounds each year.
