Trainer Harry Sarkis has confirmed that Saturday night will be the final run over the sprint trip for the sport’s latest sensation Good Juan.
Good Juan - who has become known as the greyhound that broke the internet following the incredible social media engagement surrounding his performance at Wentworth Park last Saturday – will wear the red rug in the opening event at Wenty on Saturday night, the NSW GBOTA Welcome Stakes over 520m.
“No this will be it,” Sarkis said. “He will be stepped up (in distance) after this week. He’s a sprinter come stayer or stayer come sprinter, he’s both, but his best we hope will come over the staying trip.”
There were more than 500,000 engagements on social media, views, comments and shares of the phenomenal performance the dog produced last weekend.
“I honestly can’t believe the way it’s gone crazy since the win,” Sarkis said. “Everyone has been talking about it and it was an amazing run.
“To tell you the truth, I didn’t think he could win when I was watching. I thought he would run third, he was so far off them. But when I saw him tack on so quickly, I thought “Hello, he’s in this race”. He just sprouted wings the last 20 to 30m.
“This dog has that much ability. He’s got a motor on him. He runs great time at trial tracks he runs at too – always the best time of the day every time I take him.
“I’m just happy for the owners. And realistically we need a dog like this in racing. I really hope he brings the crowds back.
“And I believe this dog will change our breeding. This dog is what the Australian public needs to breed to. A dog that can sprint, he can stay, he can come from behind, he’s never out of the race, you never have to throw your ticket away halfway around.”
There have been many comparisons made between Good Juan and other come-from-behind performers in the past seven days, including one of Sarkis’ brilliant sprinters, Tenthill Doll, and his champion stayer Kirsty’s Charity the 1988 Sydney Cup winner and NSW Greyhound Of The Year.
Tenthill Doll was the 1995 and 1996 NSW Greyhound Of The Year, and her performance in winning the 1996 Golden Easter Egg Final was stunning.
“She was that one in a million you get. She was a racecar. She won the Easter Egg from last to first. She absolutely got poleaxed through the catching pen,” Sarkis recalled. “But this dog is a different dog.
“If I was to compare him with anything he’s so close to Kirsty’s Charity it’s unbelievable, just the way he finishes his races. He’s only young, and I haven’t had him that long, but the future looks good.”
While it is the Wentworth Park run that has propelled Good Juan into the spotlight, it was a similar come-from-behind performance at Richmond back in January that saw his then owners inundated with offers.
