Winning a treble on a TAB track is an achievement for a professional with a large team of greyhounds, but it is especially noteworthy for a hobby trainer like Paul Roderick.
A full-time truck driver who has just six greyhounds in his kennels at Weston, near CESSNOCK, Roderick won three races at Thursday's Maitland meeting with members of the same litter.
He scored with Mr. Vuitton, who is the star of his small kennel, having won over 400m in a sensational 22.05.
Roderick’s other winners were I'm So Fancy, who won in 22.75 over the same trip, and Over The Border, who zipped over the 565m journey in 32.13.
“Mr. Vuitton was returning to NSW after I took him to Bendigo for the Cup heats there last week,” Roderick said.
“He ran fast time for the 425m at Bendigo but even so he only finished fourth. In hindsight I probably should have gone down there and given him a trial on the track before the cup series began.
“I'm So Fancy actually broke in faster than Mr. Vuitton, but she is just finding her feet while Over The Border is also by Magic Sprite from my bitch Splash About.”
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El Magnifico's stellar career seemed over when the Julie Fletcher-trained greyhound was injured in early May. but connections are now hopeful their 38 month old superstar will return to the track.
El Magnifico, whose record reads 15 wins and eight placings from 37 starts, is currently gambolling around the paddocks at the Menangle Park property of Fletcher and her husband Bruce.
“While he has not been trialled yet, El Magnifico is tearing around at home like a two-year-old and showing no signs of soreness, so we are hopeful.”
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Walkie Talkie certainly had an excuse for finishing a distant sixth after beginning smartly from box one at Wentworth Park last Wednesday.
Walkie Talkie, who has won six of 10 provincial starts, suffered an injury during the race and trainer Ron Seymour believes he will be sidelined for up to three months.
“Even when the winner, Blossom Belle headed Walkie Talkie off, I still thought he would still run a big race and when he dropped out suddenly on the back straight I knew something had gone wrong with him,” Seymour said.
