Slick Simzy, who reached top grade at Wentworth Park, earned over $71,000 prizemoney and won 25 of his 87 races, is now living a life of leisure in the inner west suburb of Newtown.
Trainer Michael Clayton retired Slick Simzy after the dog was unplaced in September, and although the greyhound had won in June he decided that his old warrior, who turns five next month, was now past his peak form.
"He has been too good a dog to me and to his owners, the K9 Racers Syndicate, and I did not want to see him trying his heart out to no avail against inferior racers so I decided to find a good home for him,'' Clayton said.
Newtown resident Jeff Mills, who owned a five per cent share in Slick Simzy during his career on the track, adopted the greyhound who now lives with Mills, his fiancee COURTNEY, and their two cats.
"Slick Simzy is fine with other dogs and is getting used to having the cats as house-mates, but he is quite timid,'' Mills said.
"He is especially cautious with new people but has a beautiful nature so we simply ease him into any new situations.
"Newtown and the inner west are full of people with adopted greyhounds so Simzy, his kennel name, is fitting in perfectly.''
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A simple insect bite has ruined Bob McColm's ambitious plan to start rookie youngster Uncontrolled in next month's Ladbrokes National Derby at Wentworth Park.
Heats of the Group 1 event, for male dogs whelped on or after October 1, 2016, will be held at Wentworth Park on January 26 with the final on February 2.
Uncontrolled, bred, owned and trained by McColm, led throughout to win on debut at Wentworth Park in a slick 30.18s on December 12 but had to be scratched at kennelling from last Wednesday's eventually washed-out final of the Ladbrokes Maiden Series.
McColm, whose kennels are at Sawyers Gully, in the Hunter Valley, said: "On the way to Wenty on Wednesday I stopped at Freeman's Waterhole to let Uncontrolled have a walk and something, an insect or perhaps a little spider, must have bitten his foot.
"When I got him back into the car he was limping slightly but when we stopped again on the way to Sydney he was really favouring the leg.
"By the time I arrived at Wentworth Park Uncontrolled could hardly put his foot to the ground.
"I was going to nominate him for the Derby heats but this has put those plans on the back burner.''
Uncontrolled and his litter brother, the Allen Thomas-trained Slick Buddy, are younger full brothers to former outstanding sprinter, the Jimmy McGlinn-trained Mister Cowora and to McColm's all-distance star Mr Shire.
"I have a big opinion of Uncontrolled and while Slick Buddy, who performance trialled sensationally at LADBROKES GARDENS before winning his maiden there in very fast time is a little quicker at this stage, there is not much between them,'' McColm said.
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HEATS of the group 2 Woy Woy Poultry Gold Cup highlight Sunday night's Gosford meeting but no race will hold more interest than race four, the 603m Six String Gold Cup Preview Stakes.
It will feature the first middle distance appearance of Zipping Mitzy, a winner of 12 from 22 shorter races but who took a tumble in the Ladbrokes Christmas Gift final at Wentworth Park on December 15.
Between October 17 and December 1, Zipping Mitzy won four 520m races at WP in sensational times of 29.52s, 29.58s, 29.59s and 29.61s, a consistency of brilliant figures that has almost certainly been unequalled in such a short period.
But owner Marty Hallinan has long been keen to see trainer Jason Magri test Zipping Mitzy over a longer trip.
"She is bred to stay and her run home times in 520m races indicate she will definitely get a middle distance,'' Hallinan said.
"Hopefully though, Zipping Mitzy will be able to see out a strong 720 metres, because if she can really stay she could become the best long-distance performer in Australia.''
