Scott Keeping finally brought his trial track form to the racecourse at Wentworth Park on Saturday night when he ran down champion Fanta Bale in the final of the Group 3 Summer Cup.
Fanta Bale ($2.10 favourite) looked set to claim yet another major event and maintain her unbeaten Sydney record when she began brilliantly and set up a commanding lead in the middle stages of the 720m event.
But Scott Keeping ($17), trained in Victoria by Brett Bravo for Dubbo owner-breeder Shayne Stiff, moved from fourth at the first turn to be third coming to the home bend and charged down the outside to win by a head in 42.45.
Fanta Bale held out the consistent all distance greyhound Big Daddy Bee ($10) by three quarters of a length to be runner-up.
After the race Stiff heaped praise on Bravo.
“He is a genius, he has done a fantastic job with this greyhound,” Stiff said.
“While his litter brother and kennel mate Packey Keeping, who was also a Summer Cup finalist, had won four 720m races at Wentworth Park, Scott Keeping has always been three or four lengths faster in trials. But until tonight Scott Keeping had not been able to win in four long-distance runs at Wenty.
“I knew he would put it together sooner or later.”
Fanta Bale's trainer Robbie Britton picked up a consolation cheque in the final race on Saturday when Not Available, owned in the NSW western districts but trained in Victoria, led from the first turn to win a 520m 4th by 10 lengths.
Not Available, who went into the race with eight wins from 20 starts, stopped the clock at a blistering 29.93, which was fastest time of the night.
