General Hoping To Make Rivals Green With Envy

Taw General won his heat of the Ron Arnold Masters last Friday in 30.04 from box six, and his trainer Andrew Rowe is delighted he will be donning the green rug again in Saturday night's $10,000 to the winner Final.

"He had box six when he won in 29.96 at Wentworth Park on March 22 and had that draw in his heat so I'm happy, Taw General likes it out wide,” Rowe said.

Taw General is a son of Wayang Angel, who was purchased as an eight month old puppy by Rowe's brother ADRIAN, as company for their mother Maureen Rowe.

Andrew explained: "After our father passed away ADRIAN and I thought mum needed a diversion, something to keep her busy, so my brother bought litter brother and sister Just Like Stride and Wayang Angel for her.

"Just Like Stride won 14 races and Wayang Angel won eight but as a brood bitch Wayang Angel has been even better, she has been a phenomenal producer.

"Her first litter to Fernando Bale includes Taw General, Summer Key, Exude Lightness and Hibiscus Moon, while her second litter to Barcia Bale comprises Wentworth Park winners Silver Messenger and Metal Torc.

"She has had a third litter to Orson Allen which are too young to race yet.''

Rowe's quartet from the Fernando Bale-Wayang Angel litter have won 47 races and earned over $203,000.

Spare a thought for leading jockey Brenton Avdulla whose hopes of having a Golden Easter Egg contestant with his first greyhound were dashed by a snake.

Fernando Hunter, trained for Avdulla by Michelle Sultana, missed the Easter Egg series after being bitten by a snake on his trainer's property.

"While he didn't look too good for a while he has made an amazing recovery,'' Sultana said.

"Fernando Hunter is back in work and we have had him checked out with the good news being he sustained no kidney damage from the attack.''.

Although eligible for Masters races, Fernando Hunter has been in the best form of his career and followed a scorching 29.53 Wentworth Park win on March 4 with a slick 29.65 performance a week later.

Those efforts convinced Sultana the dog was ready to tackle all-comers in the Easter Egg in preference to competing against fellow veterans in the easier Masters series but the reptile destroyed those plans.

But Fernando Hunter's kennelmate Connections will be a hot favourite for Ron Arnold Masters final.

Connections has box one, the draw he had when he led throughout to win his heat in 29.75, easily fastest qualifying time.

"Occasionally Connections can mis-time the start but if he nails the jump like he did in his heat he should be hard to beat,'' Sultana said.

"I think he will be all the better for last week's run.''