Big Daddy Bee delivered owner Jason Bateup a $10,000 bonus on top of his $75,000 first prizemoney when he scored an upset win in Saturday night's Ladbrokes National Derby at Wentworth Park.
Trained by Ray Smith of FORBES, Big Daddy Bee ran down fastest heat winner Nangar Rock, from the Dennis Barnes kennels at Cudal, to win by just over a length in a smart 29.74.
Favourite Lightning Frank came from fourth in the middle stages to cut Black Hole Sun out of the minor prize money.
Big Daddy Bee's owner is a swimming pool concreter from PENRITH and before the Derby heats were held he placed $50 on his dog with the TAB at the mammoth odds of $201 - a $10,000 result.
"I bred Big Daddy Bee from my bitch Winning Charm," Bateup said. "Wile I have had a couple of handy greyhounds previously I had not had much luck with the dogs until Big Daddy Bee came along,'' Bateup said.
Ironically Dennis Barnes educated Big Daddy Bee on behalf of Bateup and Smith.
"This is the second year in succession I have finished second in the Derby,'' Barnes lamented. "Last year my dog Nangar Flame chased home Noelene Holloway's Magic Spring in the final.
"But I'm happy with finishing second, especially as it took another NSW western districts greyhound to beat me!''
Unlucky runner in the Derby was the Angela Langton-trained Hit The Highway, a renowned powerful finisher who jumped smartly but lost all chance when his kennelmate Duty Free ran him off the track approaching the first turn.
"I was worried that might happen when Duty Free drew box two and Hit The Highway drew three because Duty Free is a wide runner,'' Langton said later.
Dennis Barnes also had a hand in Saturday night's other Group 1 final, the Ladbrokes National Futurity, as he bred Pretty Fancy, dam of the winner Striker Light.
"I sold Pretty Fancy to Molong breeder Toby Weekes and he in turn sold Striker Light to her owner George Farrugia,'' Barnes said.
Striker Light led throughout to win Saturday night's Futurity final, scoring by nearly three lengths from fastest qualifier, fellow Victorian Up Hill Jill, who chased the winner all the way.
Striker Light's overall time of 29.74 for the 520m was identical to the figures posted by Derby winner Big Daddy Bee.
Striker Light's trainer Brett Bravo was not surprised that his greyhound produced dazzling second and third splits of 13.70 and 17.78 on Saturday night.
"She bungled the start when she took 30.46sec to win her Futurity heat and I knew she could go a lot quicker if she jumped as well as I know she can,'' Bravo said.
"One night at Sandown Striker Light came out 'under the lids' and recorded a first split that was only a tick outside the fastest ever run there, by none other than Fernando Bale.
"Striker Light is a tenacious chaser who nailed the start tonight and she got to the line better than in her previous Wentworth Park races, running home in her personal best figures of 11.96.''
Ray Smith narrowly missed a winning double when the irrepressible Brad Hill Bill chased home the up-and-coming Ruth King-trained Eisenhower in Saturday's Free-For-All, 520m.
Ebby Ripper took her Wentworth Park 720m record to eight starts for four wins and three placings with an outstanding personal best 42.17 performance in Saturday's top grade long distance event.
See you next week!l
