Neither Susan Smith nor her partner John Miles were in Grafton on Sunday night, and chances are they won’t be there next Saturday for the final of the world’s richest shortcourse race, The Thunderbolt, but if the result goes their way, they will again be dancing around the living room of their Branxton home.
John who is 81, and Susan 72, won not one but two semi-finals of The Thunderbolt with their greyhounds Johnny Red and Vamoose, before coming up with boxes 1 and 2 respectively in next week’s $75,000 to the winner final.
“We were screaming at home,” said Susan. “This is just great. All these dogs come from the same dam line. Five generations it goes back. It’s just a fantastic breed.
“We’re just two oldies here and all we do is the dogs, and all we do is just look after them.
“It’s a long way to go up to Grafton when you’re old, and if we did go next week we would have to stay overnight and we have dogs here that need to be looked after.
“We might just stay home again but we’ll be dancing around in here like we were tonight if either of them happen to win.”
Vamoose, the son of Miles' former sensational shortcourse bitch Blue Thunda, who won 18 of 23 starts, has now won 30 of 53 starts. But he looked in trouble early.
There was more traffic than the M5 at peak hour as the field charged to the first turn, and looking set to lead Vamoose was dragged down and his chances looked gone.
But before you could say interference, the leaders then jammed and suddenly the big white dog was back in front and this time he was staying there.
“I held my breath and I thought holy hell, he’s gone, but he got himself out of it. He balanced up and went again. He is a real race dog, and we have done what we wanted to do in winning the heat last week and the semi-final this week and now the big one next week,” Susan said.
“I was offered a lot of money for Vamoose when he had his second start at The Gardens … and I mean a lot of money.
“I had no intention of selling. We are in it for the fun. This is us now. We have nothing else, but we are really enjoying it.”
Vamoose clocked a slow 20.23s, but times were irrelevant, all that mattered was that he had qualified for the final.
Second place and a Thunderbolt Final berth went to West Australian visitor Custard Monelli.
While Vamoose qualified at Grafton last weekend, Johnny Red came through the Richmond Thunderbolt heats, and he was the first of the Branxton pair to advance to the final with an impressive semi-final win.
Showing great speed early to lead from box 6, Johnny Red was able to hold off the finish of Cash Destroyer, winning by half a length in 19.89s.
“Johnny is a good dog when he wants to be, and he can jump, and I’m not surprised he was able to get through to the final,” John said.
John Grief’s Running Reds only got into the semi-final fields when there was not one but two scratchings from his semi, but the son of Pindari Express and Jayda Rose took full advantage of his luck, racing to the lead soon after boxrise and strongly holding on for a win in 19.92s.
Running Reds woth trainer John Grief
Local Rushforth Ally - who won the Grafton heat Running Reds was third in a week ago - ran on strongly to grab second and a berth in the Thunderbolt decider.
It was an emotional John Grief after qualifying for the final.
“There were tears in the eyes. I gave up work two years ago to do this full-time and the results I've had in the last 18 months, I'm just thrilled with, absolutely thrilled with,” he said.
“I got some terrific owners and they're the only people I've trained for. And honestly they're more like brother and sister than they are owners.
“This means more probably than when I qualified for the Black Top at The Gardens. It is the biggest final I've ever been in.”
The brilliant Speeding Fine, having his first race start at Grafton, led form boxrise and refused to surrender, winning in 20.25s.
The victory for the Hank Vanderburg-trained speedster took his record to an imposing 13 wins and a placing from just 15 starts.
Speeding Fine after his win
Dubbo President Shayne Stiff will have a runner in the Thunderbolt final after his chaser Return Mac finished second, ¾ length behind Speeding Fine in the opening semi-final of the night.
“His run was really good,” Stiff said. “He’s never been here and he ran his normal honest race. You would love to have a kennel full of them.
“It’s a great thrill to be in the final and all roads lead to Grafton next Saturday night. He’s in there and he’ll give his 110% for sure.”
