Miata Pups Making An Impact

By Jeff Collerson

The first offspring of champion stayer Miata will hit the track shortly with her son, the Luke Azzopardi-trained Billy Emgrand, winning a 472m performance trial at Bulli last week.

Rossy Emgrand, a litter sister and kennelmate to the winner, finished third - beaten two lengths - in the trial.

Click here to watch a replay of the run.

A Chinese-based client of the Londonderry trainer paid $60,000 for Billy Emgrand and Rossy Emgrand soon after Miata whelped them to Barcia Bale in November 2013.

Azzopardi said there was little to choose at this stage between the siblings.

"Since they were educated I have always thought Rossy Emgrand was a fraction better than her brother, Billy Emgrand, but he has kept improving," Azzopardi said.

"Maybe Billy Emgrand has the edge on his sister now but there is nothing between them.''

Billy Emgrand led throughout in the trial, stopping the clock at a handy 26.63.

Rossy Emgrand was second early before being hampered slightly trying to reach the rails and veering off the track on the home turn.

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'Mr Consistency' himself, Blue Cherokee, will make his keenly anticipated Wentworth Park debut on Wednesday night after winning his heat of the Maitland To Wenty Series last Thursday.

Tackling 450m for the first time, Jimmy Higgins' brilliant short course speedster led throughout in a slick 25.07.

From his past 12 starts Blue Cherokee has chalked up six wins, four seconds and a third but will go into Wednesday's Wentworth Park final without the benefit of a run on the track.

"Because there is only six days between the heats and the final there is no opportunity to trial Blue Cherokee at Wenty,'' Higgins said.

"I don't think he is a genuine 520 metre dog because he is so fast early but he is a special greyhound.

"If he leads, as I expect him to, his rivals have got to catch him.''

Blue Cherokee is a litter brother to Michael Clayton's dazzling front runner Are Jai Que, with both being produced by From Somewhere, a bitch Jimmy Higgins trained.

Higgins has had few starters at Wentworth Park in recent years but landed the Group 1 Peter Mosman Classic in 2008 with Lend Us Fifty.

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Peter Neilson has few peers when it comes to winning strike rates and the Hunter Valley trainer landed a treble at Maitland on Thursday.

Neilson was victorious in successive 400m races with FINE Performer (22.88), Shak Retreat (22.83) and Kimbro, who stopped the clock at a fast 22.40.

It was Kimbro's 17th win in 56 starts yet the greyhound has been relatively lightly raced and will turn four years old in September.

"She has not had any serious injuries but has come in season a couple of times so she has not had a lot of racing,'' Neilson said.

"I've trained plenty of winning doubles recently but that was my first treble in years.''