Champion sprinter She’s A Pearl will spearhead the NSW assault on the TAB Origin Greyhound Series next Thursday night at Albion Park, after teams were finalised on Friday morning.
Since the inaugural Origin series back in 2018, both States have won twice, Queensland in 2018 and again last year, NSW in 2019 and 2021 with Covid seeing the event not run in 2020.
NSW have named a very strong team for both the Sprint and Distance events, and 2023 Golden Easter Egg winner Simply Limelight will ‘anchor’ the team in the match-race. Both times NSW have won the series, it was decided with victory in the match-race with Feral Franky winning in 2019 and Jungle Deuce in 2021.
Accompanying She’s A Pearl in the sprint will be Cash Master (a winner on Thursday night at Albion Park in 29.88s and with a best time there of 29.58s), Ibrox Wildfire (who won back to back races at Wentworth Park last month in best of the night times), and Wyndra All Class (the Group 1 Futurity winner who was a gallant runner-up to She’s A Pearl in the recent Ladies Bracelet and in Dubbo’s Brother Fox).
In the distance event, She’s A Pearl’s kennelmate Cawbourne Magic (a multiple Group 1 placegetter), Nangar Rocket (a 41.99s winner at Albion Park two weeks ago), Palawa King (a placegetter in The Ladbrokes 715 and an impressive winner over the 600m at Albion Park last week) and Zipping Orlando (The Ladbrokes 715 winner and winner of the Group 3 Carnival Chase over 600m on Thursday night).
There had been speculation that trainer Andy Lord would decide against taking She’s A Pearl to Brisbane but he’s keen to take part in the series. Lord has only ever had one representative in an Origin and that was back in 2018 when Rohan Hill was a Sprint team member.
“We had to give it a go. It’s not often you get to go into a race like this,” Lord said.
“There’s always a great rivalry between NSW and Queensland when it comes to anything whether it’s football or greyhound racing. And that rivalry is very healthy and this event creates good interest for the sport. I just think we need to host it down here too. Maybe one year the staying race up there and the sprint down here and the next year switch them around. I think we need to get involved.
“She’s A Pearl has never been there (Albion Park) but I think it will suit her because it’s probably half similar to Wenty except the bends are probably a bit bigger.
“Obviously she’s getting towards the end of her career and retirement now, and that will be left up to her when she comes on season, that will be D-day. I don’t want to race her too much more but if she goes well in the Origin then you look at taking her back for the Brisbane Cup.
“On his night Cawbourne Magic is capable of anything. He just seems to have lost a bit of his early pace but we’re trying to change things with him and get him back to what he was.
“When he went to Brisbane (on May 31) he hadn’t been there and he got lost and got too far back. He’s going good. He’s trialling as good as he ever has, if not quicker.
“We’ll see how he goes at Wenty on Saturday night and that will be the tell tale as to how we think he might go in Queensland but I’m still confident he’s going to win a big one soon.”
