Lee Wylie is enjoying a year to remember so far and he thinks Birkdale Beauty can extend his run of success at Thursday’s Albion Park meeting.
The in-form chaser (pictured with connections at Lismore last year) looks well drawn jumping from box one in the day’s seventh race, the A Team Stud Stakes (520m).
Always a consistent chaser, Birkdale Beauty is flying at the moment with three wins from her last four starts.
She faces a tough field here but Wylie has decent hopes of taking home the money.
“I’m optimistic,” he said.
“Box one will suit her and if she gets out well, she’ll be hard to stop.
“You can’t be too confident but if you are in the one, two or three at Albion Park then it really gives you a decent chance to win.”
Birkdale Beauty’s recent good form has taken her career record to a decent 17 wins and 18 placings from 49 starts.
She likes visiting the Brisbane track and has two wins from three previous starts with the red rug.
This is a tough field and she is not the fastest here but Birkdale Beauty has mixed in strong company before, qualifying for last year’s Group 3 Casino and Group 2 Lismore Workers Club Cup finals.
“She’s no superstar but she’s honest,” Wylie said.
“Albion Park is a tough track to master – some greyhounds never do – but she seems to like it up there.
“I’ve seen her set off the field and win and I’ve seen her lead the field there and win.
“She’s Always got a chance up there.”
Wylie currently has about 20 kennels in work from his base in the New South Wales Tweed region.
The 46-year-old is enjoying a good year on the track, securing some notable victories at Queensland and the NSW North Coast tracks.
His consistent chaser Soccer Ball recorded another win at Ladbrokes Park Lismore on Tuesday night, while two of his promising pups, Cracking Caza and Youi, are in this Saturday’s semi-finals of the Group 2 Vince Curry Memorial Maiden (520m) at Ipswich.
“I haven’t done anything different or changed things,” Wylie said. “The greyhounds I have just seem to have flourished this year.
“I’ve got a good team around me. That is such a big help if you are a trainer.
“I think if you are a happy trainer, you just get happy greyhounds. Then you get winners.”
Other strong contenders here include Hougenie (race three), race nine’s Ultra Blue and Magic Maiden in the 10th.
For Albion Park Thursday fields, form and expert picks, click here.
