Hopefully for the NSW representatives in Saturday night’s Crocmedia National Sprint and Distance Championships finals, the success of the State can continue, after NSW greyhounds collected a handful of victories at the Nationals’ Awards in Perth on Friday.
Winner of the Australian Broodbitch of the Year was the former brilliant sprinter Chica Destacada.
It was coincidentally Chica’s second big victory in Perth, having won the National Sprint Championship title back in 2014 at the Cannington track.
But she is now making her mark – and an indelible one – off the track. Chica Destacada’s progeny - from two litters - were outstanding in the past season, with the likes of Veloce Nero (who will represent NSW in the Distance final on Saturday), Poco Dorado, Blue Moon Rising and Two Times Twice – each a Group winner in their own right - performing brilliantly, and between them now the quartet by Fernando Bale, have won a staggering 102 races, and over $1 million in prizemoney.
But it was also the achievements of her next litter, by Barcia Bale which ensured the Broodbitch award for Chica Destacada.
From that litter she had six of the eight finalists in the rich Magic Maiden Final at Wentworth Park on Golden Easter Egg night, and won the event with Timeless Moment, trained by Kerry Drynan, daughter of Doreen, who trained Chica Destacada.
Another award on the night saw Fernando Bale win Sire of the Year. The champion sprinter and now champion sire is owned in NSW by Brendan Wheeler.
And NSW was successful with another award, when the brilliant Zipping Bailey (pictured) took out the Run of the Year Award, courtesy of her amazing performance to win the 2019 Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg at Wentworth Park on April 20.
NSW will now try to continue that success on Saturday in the two National finals, with Veloce Nero looking to emulate her mother, while the Frank Hurst-trained Good Odds Harada is a great chance in the Sprint final.
In other racing news, on Friday night four heats of the Group 2 Black Top were run at LADBROKES GARDENS, with the Jason Mackay-trained Aston Duke - a kennelmate of Zipping Bailey - setting the time standard of 29.37s, beating the talented Bit Flash by half a length.
Other heat winners were Black Forge (29.61s) who defeated Mystic Riot, Sheba’s Dream (29.64s) who downed Eye Rock, and Good Odds Buddy - a littermate of Good Odds Harada - who clocked 29.50s beating Double Back.
The box draw for the Black Top Final to be run next Friday is: 1 Aston Duke 2 Good Odds Buddy 3 Eye Rock 4 Mystic Riot 5 Bit Flash 6 Double Back 7 Sheba’s Dream 8 Black Forge 9 Jamella Jet 10 Nangar Kash.
