-2002.JPG)
Army Surplus was not favourite to win the Betfair Blue Paws Super Series final (520m), but there was not a more popular win at Wentworth Park on Saturday night than the all-the-way success by the Adam Wade-trained speedster.
Adam and his daughter Emma, 21, who also owns greyhounds, just lost their wife and mother Karen, aged just 52, as a result of a stroke.
Army Surplus, described by Adam Wade as a "big goose" because of the dog’s clumsy racing habits, went to the lead at the first turn to win his assignment in a sensational 29.61.
"At his two previous Wentworth Park starts he had climbed all over the back of the pacemaker when about to go to the front and win," Wade said.
"Tonight when he was charging towards the first bend outside Jack Kade and Pierro Kade I was thinking he was going to get tipped over again.
"Next minute he just managed to clear them without having his hind legs clipped and I knew it was game over then."
Army Surplus set the time standard for Saturday’s meeting but his time was only 0.05 faster than the figures posted by the rapidly improving Zipping Abby.
Despite a moderate start, Zipping Abby swept around her rivals to lead on the back straight before drawing away to win by seven lengths.
Ron Seymour, who trains Zipping Abby for leading breeder Marty Hallinan, said the bitch could improve even further.
"In the last week of September each year I take a month off to attend the Coonamble spring greyhound carnival," Seymour explained.
"This year I sent Zipping Abby back to Marty Hallinan’s and asked him to keep the bitch in trim by giving her the occasional hand-slip while I was away.
"When I came back from Coonamble Zipping Abby broke 30 seconds in a trial at Bathurst and then won at Wenty in 30.07 so she had not had too much work leading up to tonight’s 29.66 effort.
"I told Marty she would eventually run 29.60 at Wenty but he laughed at me."
Meanwhile, Dragon Emgrand will travel in style to Dapto for Thursday night’s heats of the Country Motor Company Puppy Auction Classic after the dog’s owner bought a luxury four wheel drive for trainer Luke Azzopardi to transport his greyhounds.
Dragon Emgrand’s owner, one of the largest car dealers in China, insisted on purchasing a top of the range Audi for Azzopardi so his dogs and others in the Londonderry trainer’s kennels could go to the races in comfort.
"He left it to me to select a new vehicle and I chose another make which was going to cost him about $40,000," Azzopardi said.
"But my owner in China said my choice was rubbish and then insisted on the Audi, which cost over $100,000 and even has television sets installed."
On the way to Dapto Luke could inspire Dragon Emgrand by letting him watch a replay of his impressive all the way win in a personal best 29.97 at Wentworth Park on Saturday.
Although Dragon Emgrand exited box two, the greyhound galloped two or three dogs off the fence throughout the journey.
Despite that Azzopardi thinks Dragon Emgrand is better suited drawn inside.
"I don’t think he would have enough early speed to get across from box seven or eight at Wentworth Park so even though he uses a bit of the track I like him drawn near the rails," the trainer said.
Shady Rhino scored her third Wentworth Park win for Manildra panel beater Dave Duncan on Saturday night but the owner-trainer is despairing of winning in town with her kennelmate Barney’s Rhino.
"Shady Rhino has taken a liking to Wentworth Park and when she was third at the first turn tonight I thought she would win," Duncan said later.
“Her kennelmate Barney’s Rhino finished third in the previous race and he has as much ability but he is a slow beginner and might be too big to do well at Wentworth Park.
"When he won at Richmond in 30.59 on 8 November, his run home time was fantastic but Barney’s Rhino was last away tonight and you can’t afford to do that at Wentworth Park, especially when you are just on 38 kilograms."
See you next week!
