Eight classy greyhounds. Seven different trainers. Three G1 winners. A defending champion. A trio of local hopes and a $50,000 cheque for the winner.
It’s a recipe for a big night as the Dubbo Greyhound Racing Club becomes the epicentre of NSW chasing on Saturday for the annual running of the Group 3 Ladbrokes Brother Fox Final.
Five of the trainers will be attempting to win the event for the first time, while Forbes-local Jack Smith and renowned breeder and owner Marty Hallinan will hoping to claim their third Brother Fox titles.
Maserati facing an uphill battle to go back-to-back in the race after drawing the carpark in the decider.
“He’s shockingly boxed and going to need a lot of luck from the 8,” Hallinan said.
“He didn’t show much early pace in the heats and his only chance of winning on Saturday is to be up on speed, out wide, hoping he gets a cart into the race. Wyndra All Class is in Box 7 and she’ll be ahead of him so maybe she’ll drag him across. It’s not an easy race to read the form to be honest,” he said.
“I know this isn’t brazen but She’s A Pearl and Wyndra All Class are the biggest dangers. Pearl’s run was big the other night and you never write off the Gatt family, they know how to win a big one,’ he added.
The Gatt camp quick to assure Wyndra All Class’ owners, Brian and Sue Barton, their girl would be cherry ripe for her grand final after being run down in the heats by Street Of Dreams.
A Box 7 draw almost perfect for the reigning G1 National Futurity winner, with three starts in the black rug resulting in two wins and second.
‘Annie’ an ever present spark for the Barton’s as Sue continues her battle with terminal brain cancer.
“Sue and I sit beside each other for every race, we hold hands and just scream the house down. For Sue, she forgets she’s sick when Annie runs. I watch her face and she gets so excited. A lot of people think greyhounds are just greyhounds but there’s a special connection between Annie and Sue, I think she knows what’s going on and hopefully she runs well again on Saturday night,” Barton added.
If one of the heirs to the throne of NSW chasing was to win, she’d have to knock off the Queen.
She’s A Pearl holding favouritism for her first tilt at the Ladbrokes Brother Fox final, with trainer Andy Lord confident of another big showing following an impressive heat win.
“I didn’t think she could win up the back straight, I thought “hang on, what’s going on here”. It’s a very tricky track at Dubbo and she hadn’t raced there for 18-months. She has won her last three starts though and you can’t ask for much more than that so she’s ready to go,” Lord said.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of pace on the inside of her and the four runs pretty straight which is the main thing. She handles pressure as well as any greyhound and if she does cop a bit of heat she’ll just go faster. At her best, she runs a very first section and that’s what win these races,” he added.
Craig Chappelow will have two chances at the $50,000 in prizemoney when he rugs up Embrace (Box 1) and I’m Loving It (Box 6).
Although the Oakdale-based trainer was not overly ecstatic with the box draw.
“My two are the opposite way around to what they need. They did the banjo and I saw straight away that Embrace got the one and I wasn’t disappointed, but I would have rather them the other way around. But I won’t give the one box back, put it that way,” Chappelow said with a laugh.
“Embrace can come from behind but we think it’s a bit of a leaders track at Dubbo. She’s A Pearl looks like she’ll be in front, but I think Spring Meteor (Box 4) and Royal Nangar (Box 5) are no slouches so if they can put a bit of pressure on her you just never know,” he added.
Craig Chappelow and Embrace after winning the 2022 Peter Mosman Opal
“She [Embrace] is a bit of an enigma. If she gets crowded, she tends to be less comfortable than if she gets the outside. She moved off the track a little bit in the heat but the boxes are out a little bit more at Dubbo so that’s one advantage of drawing the one there,” he said.
While Chappelow’s other chance, I’m Loving It, was the surprise packet of last Saturday night, winning his heat in a time of 29.61.
“Box 6 is going to be tricky but maybe the dogs in Box 4 or 5 can give him a cart across. It’s a great field. Wyndra All Class is a Group 1 winner, Zipping Maserati is last years winner, and Pearl is a champ. My guy is still learning and on the way up, so it’d be a real thrill for his owners if he can get there on Saturday night,” Chappelow said.
As for the remainder of the field, Josh Board will rug up Spring Meteor (Box 4) with cousin Jay Opetaia leading out Street Of Dreams (Box 2).
While Jack Smith provided the most straightforward response of all the final bound trainers when asked about Royal Nangar’s chances.
“He will just bolt in and win,” Jack laughed.
“No, he’s never going to be in the headlines but he’s the type of dog you’d love a kennel full of. To only be beat a length by She’s A Pearl, how good is that. He was in front of her until they turned for home and I know that don’t count, but he’s a good little toiler and he puts in every start,” Smith said.
Jack Smith will be all smiles of Royal Nangar can win the Ladbrokes Brother Fox Final
The Group 3 Ladbrokes Brother Fox Final will be run on Saturday, May 19 at the Dubbo Greyhound Racing Club. It will be supported by the Bill & Peg Miller Memorial race, worth $20,000-to-the-winner.
The Zipping Garth At Stud Mega Maiden and Feral Franky At Stud Future Star Finals will also be run with the winners taking home $10,000 each.
