Shine For Me, described as a “back yard product’’ by her owner-trainer-breeder Julie Brodie, took her record to six wins and five seconds from 14 starts when she won at Bulli last Wednesday night.
Plenty of trainers have greyhounds which are descended from two, three or even four generations of their own bitches, but Shine For Me is the “home grown’’ grand-daughter of a sire who served only one bitch.
“I trained Realon Red and bred Shine For Me from his daughter Realon Melody, which I also trained,’’ Brodie said.
“Realon Red was a fast dog but fractured a stopper bone early in his career and after being sidelined for eight months came back to win at Wentworth Park and run several seconds there.
“Because he was by Head Honcho from a Sandown Laurels winner, and his grand-dam was a litter sister to Token Prince, my husband Paul and I bred a litter by him.
“When mated to Bessy Mclaren he sired Realon Melody, the dam of Shine For Me and whose three litters, by Brett Lee, Bombastic Shiraz and El Grand Senor, have yielded well over 170 winners.
“Shine For Me is no world beater but is very honest and when she finishes racing we’ll bred from her.’’
Julie Brodie is the daughter of legendary trainer and long-time Bulli club president, the late Jimmy Patton, who is credited by multiple Sydney premiership winning trainer Andy Lord with being his greyhound racing mentor.
While Shine For Me has been earning the prize-money for the Brodie kennels, Julie has a high opinion of She’s All Aussie, who is from the next litter to the recently retired joint NSW Greyhound of the Year Double Twist.
“She’s All Aussie ran 26.13 in her performance trial at Goulburn recently and her owner has her nominated for the group three Nowra Puppy Classic heats on September 29,’’ Brodie said.
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Whittaker, with three wins from four starts at Dapto and Bulli, has been garnering all the family attention but at Bulli last Wednesday his litter brother Lithgow Panther made a stunning debut.
Trained by John Chapman for concreter Michael Inzitari and his brother Joe, an electrician, Lithgow Panther followed a slick 22.65 performance trial over 400m at Bulli with an impressive win in identical time at his race debut there last Wednesday.
“When he won on Wednesday he was having only his second look at Bulli and I think this dog is only going to go forward, he is fast and strong,’’ John Chapman said this week.
“I trained Arena Flyer and Fancy Will for the Inzitari brothers and they bought Lithgow Panther from their breeder Jill Harper when he was four months old.’’
Jill Harper is the sister of Whittaker’s trainer Julie Fletcher, and she and husband Warren also have a promising pup from the Milldean Panther-Mrs Trickett litter in Buster Bluth.
Named after a character in the popular TV series Arrested Development, Buster Bluth is owned by former Western Suburbs Magpies league star Darren Willis.
“Buster Bluth won his maiden at Gosford last month but has been out of action since due to an injured sesamoid bone,’’ Harper said.
“And Mr Fordham, who is a really hot dog, still hasn’t come good after cracking the side of a stopper bone.
“We gave him eight weeks rest and brought him back but Because of the injury he is still running terribly wide. A second X-ray has shown the bone still hasn’t healed so he is off for another six weeks.’’
The Milldean Panther-Mrs Trickett litter were reared by NSW’s most successful owner-breeder, Marty Hallinan, and following Lithgow Panther’s success he has given John Chapman some young greyhounds to add to his team of 15 race dogs.
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A dose of water diabetes following his win at Richmond last Wednesday has postponed the middle distance debut of the curiously named Bulletproof Esky.
Trained by Wal Simmons, Bulletproof Esky finished powerfully to win over 535m at Richmond in a fair 30.97 but his trainer believes the dog is looking for more ground.
“His dam Miss Bridee Lee held the long distance record at Traralgon, Victoria, so Bulletproof Esky is bred to stay,’’ Simmons said.
“Before the Richmond win I intended to step the dog up in the distance for his next start but after Wednesday’s race he suffered from water diabetes so that plan has had to be put on hold.’’
Bulletproof Esky is the second greyhound raced by owner Daniel Brown, who heads the syndicate which races Wal and Helen Simmons’ best performer, Explosive Ebony.
