Greyhound racing is rarely without tales of successful bargain buys and Lioness Lulu proved again that top greyhounds can be found for small outlays.
Lioness Lulu (pictured) took out the Group 1 GBOTA Association Cup, Wentworth Park's biggest long-distance race on the calendar, for Victorian owner-trainer Mark Giddings in 42.21 outlasting the gallant Whittaker and Phantom Reign.
Rookie trainer Giddings, 22, bought Lioness Lulu for only $2000 after the greyhound had won just one of eight races.
Now Lioness Lulu, a veteran of 58 starts, has won a heat and final of the time-honoured Association Cup.
Giddings, who has been training for just three years, had not had a runner in Sydney until the Association Cup heat night when he and Lioness Lulu had difficulty even finding Wentworth Park.
Another bargain, Tilly's Boy, also took out the Group 3 New Sensation for trainer DEAN Swain and Queensland owner Scott Hansen, giving the latter a dream introduction to the sport.
"Scott had never owned a greyhound until he bought Tilly's Boy as a puppy for only $1000," Swain said after the race.
Swain set Tilly's Boy for last night's race more than two months ago, having to restrict the dog's lead-up campaign to ensure the greyhound fulfilled The New Sensation eligibility criteria of having had no more than 10 wins from a maximum of 20 starts when entries closed.
After Wicked Warrior took out a heat of the Group 3 Ladbrokes Magic Maiden on March 9 part-owner DEAN Berthaly exclaimed: "It has always been my dream to have a starter at Wentworth Park's biggest meeting of the year, Golden Easter Egg night."
Berthaly and co-owner Patrick Newman not only secured a starter after the Jason Magri-trained Wicked Warrior went on to win his Magic Maiden semi-final, but they also saw their dog take out Saturday night's final.
Wicked Warrior jumped in front from box three but after being headed off by the Doreen Drynan-trained Kay Dee Em, railed through to regain the lead leaving the back straight.
Wicked Warrior roared away to win by just on seven lengths from Kay Dee Em.
"We bred Wicked Warrior from our greyhound Bit Sassy, who won 13 races for DEAN and I," Newman said after the race.
"These days Bit Sassy spends her nights on the lounge at DEAN's home and that's where she sleeps."
Trainer Ray Webster admitted Hugo Boss had found five or six lengths in the past few weeks after his greyhound led throughout to win Saturday night's listed Ultra Sense, named after the inaugural 1990 Golden Easter Egg winner.
"Early in his career I thought Hugo Boss was capable of winning one, perhaps two races at Wentworth Park because of his good pace from the boxes," Webster said.
"But he was not strong at the finish and at one stage I even suggested to the dog's owners that they might be better off sending him to Adelaide where the opposition is not as strong.
"Hugo Boss however has suddenly found strength at the finish so is doing it at both ends these days. I don't know why he has improved, I can only put it down to maturity."
See you next week!
