Taree owner-trainer Roxy Farrell has hoisted the "not for sale" sign over Need A Margarita's kennel following the two-year-old's sensational maiden win in near record time at LADBROKES GARDENS on Friday.
Need A Margarita, a daughter of Hooked On Scotch and Keydra, a sister to Farrell's former top-class Ruth Matic-trained sprinter-stayer Embye, led throughout over 515m in 29.25 - winning by a breathtaking 19 lengths.
Need A Margarita's time was only .29sec outside the track record set by group race winner French Martini on September 30 last year.
"I must admit I was shocked when the time went up,'' Farrell said.
"In a recent post-to-post hand-slip at The Gardens experienced clockers told me Need A Margarita's time was the equivalent of a 29.60 run if she had come from the 515m boxes.
"So while I knew she was capable of quick time I didn't expect her to go anywhere near as fast as she did on Friday at only her third start.
"After she finished an unlucky second at The Gardens on August 18 I received a phone call from someone wanting to buy her but I said I wasn't interested so don't even bother mentioning a price.
"I hate being offered big money for dogs, I think it brings bad luck.''
Embye, trained for Farrell by Ruth Matic, won 17 races and $54,000 but Need A Margarita has similar potential.
"She is more sensible than Embye was because he used to cut to the rails when the boxes opened but Need A Margarita holds a straight line,'' Farrell said.
"Need A Margarita, who got her name through the drinking connection with her sire, Hooked On Scotch, has kept improving.
"When John Martin at Casino educated her, he told me she was a good chaser with plenty of ability but that her confidence was only at about a 60 per cent level.
"I borrowed Keydra, her dam, to mate with Hooked On Scotch because not only is she a litter sister to my good dog Embye, but she is the spitting image of the great Flying Amy.
"After Friday's win Need A Margarita is undergoing a full veterinary check as due to her winning so easily, she got bowled over in the catching pen after the race.
"Then her vaccinations are due so she won't be racing anywhere too soon.''
Farrell has been involved with breeding, owning and training greyhounds for 45 years, after being introduced to the sport by Gary Cluss, a part-owner of Wentworth Park champion Sunburnt Highway.
But Farrell's mentor in the early days was the late Ron Rudd, who trained the top class sprinter-stayer Cabernet and who stood the great Irish import Waverly Supreme at stud.
"Ron taught me the three things vital to succeeding with a greyhound were to make sure the dog was injury-free and received the best of food combined with patience on the part of the trainer,'' Farrell summed up.
