When Peter Lagogiane left Australia earlier this month to take up training greyhounds for a Crown Prince of Dubai, he had mixed feelings about leaving behind two new acquisitions to his kennel, Zipping Eastwood and Zipping Carter.
They had their first starts for Lagogiane in the Macro Meats Maiden heats at Wentworth Park on November 23 and although each was drawn "on the wrong side of the track" according to their trainer, they ran great races.
Despite spearing off the course from box two, Zipping Eastwood came from fourth at the catching pen to win while Zipping Carter was hampered crossing to the rails from box seven and finished a luckless second to the brilliant Opus Forte.
"Leaving these two dogs behind is my main regret about leaving Australia," Lagogiane said at the time.
Zipping Eastwood has not taken long to hit top gear for new trainer Jason Mackay, winning over 450m at Maitland on Thursday in a fast 24.98.
Zipping Carter has not yet made his debut for the Mackay kennels but has as much ability as Thursday’s smart Maitland winner, his litter brother by Mandagery Man from Pink Bandanna.
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Ronray Spirit, who was originally the faster of the pair but has lived in the shadow of his sister Lady Ronray, showed a glimpse of his immense potential with a slick 25.16 win over 450m at Maitland on Thursday.
"Ronray Spirit was having only his second run back from an on-going problem with the ligaments in his right wrist," trainer Ray Steele said at the weekend.
"At breaking in and at the beginning of their careers Ronray Spirit was always a bit quicker than Lady Ronray although I’m not saying he is now.
"After all she has won 14 from 18 starts and won six at Wentworth Park but Ronray Spirit will win at Wenty too.
"Before his most recent wrist injury I gave him his first trial around two turns at Wentworth Park and he clocked 30 seconds flat after running a first split of 5.40.
"Melbourne trainer Terry Reid is looking after Lady Ronray during her Sandown Laurels campaign and I’ll be sending Ronray Spirit down to him shortly.
"My wife Irena and I are moving to Moama, near Echuca, Victoria, on February 4, but all being well I will start Lady Ronray beforehand in the National Futurity heats at Wentworth Park on January 23."
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Don FORBES, who was one of greyhound racing’s longest serving bookmakers, has died aged 90.
FORBES was a leader of the betting ring in an era when there were more than 100 bookies operating on Sydney greyhound tracks.
He began his bookmaking career on the rails at Randwick at the age of 17 but soon switched to become exclusively a greyhound racing bookie.
FORBES retired after working on his final meeting at Bulli in 1976.
His funeral will be held today (Monday) at 2pm at Castlebrook Memorial Park, Rouse Hill.
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Boorowa breeder Jimmy Johnson celebrated 50 years in the sport by training a winner, Country Doll, at Bulli on Wednesday.
Johnson usually has his greyhounds with outside trainers or sells his stock but currently has two smart Spring Gun litters, out of his first time mothers Country Rebel and Country Bell, Country Doll’s dam.
Country Rebel, who won 14 races for trainer Neil Staines in 2009, 2010 and 2011, looks set to become an outstanding brood bitch as her son Country Gun has won three from five starts while his litter brother Country Fox was a brilliant winner on debut in a heat of the Macro Meats Maiden Series at Wentworth Park last month.
Johnson’s greyhounds have raced with the "Country" tag since he left Sydney for the bush 39 years ago.
"I was working as a carpenter and living at Kogarah but got to dislike the city intensely," Johnson said.
"The best greyhounds I have had would be Country Snow and also Aussie Country and Red Country who were very successful after I sold them to Jodie Lord and to a NEW ZEALAND buyer respectively.
"A neighbour of mine at Boorowa was Kevin Mahoney, whose funeral was held last Thursday.
"I trained greyhounds for Kevin, who died aged 68, but he was also a top trainer in his own right and had wonderful success with Bonza Boy."
Bonza Boy, who won 20 of 88 starts and scored over both the 520m and 720m trips at Wentworth Park, was a tough-as-teak dog who competed in 1994, ’95, ’96 and ’97.
