As you scroll through the five Heats of Saturday night’s Group 1 Ladbrokes Vic Peters Classic, you’ll struggle to find a dog in better form than Boston Banner.
The bookies favourite for Race 10 on the program has won his last five starts for Barry Gibbons, with back-to-back victories at The Gardens in 29.44 and Wentworth Park in 29.50 putting him firmly in the frame for the $75,000 feature.
“It took him a while to get going to be honest…he actually didn’t win until his twelfth start,” a jovial Gibbons said during the week.
Boston Banner's last four wins have all been BON times
“But he finds time every week and he’s a real tradesman now. It wasn’t until I put him over 600 that he really showed what he can do. He started coming out a bit better and putting some wins together, I was even toying with stepping him up in trip but when I looked at the calendar, there wasn’t a lot around for the stayers.”
“So I freshened him right up and he’s had a few good runs over 500 in preparation for the Vic Peters. His last run in town was very handy, a 29.5 best of the night effort and that puts him right in the frame for a race like this.”
Gibbons pumped with Box 1, especially considering the talent surrounding his charge in Heat 4.
“The red suits him because he wants to rail up underneath them. Hopefully he can hold his line on Saturday and be there at the first bend because a dog like History’s Coming [Box 4] is very hard to run down,” Gibbons added.
“And Michelle Sultana’s dog, Rinsed The Lot, apparently is one of the fastest dogs Darryl has had. Off what it trialled, it could run 29.5 as well. The late race won’t bother my bloke either, he’s a very relaxed dog, he’s a good traveller and will be ready to fire up when the time is right.”
Litter sister Tulsi Banner will also step out on Saturday night’s program, with the seven-time winner drawing Box 4 in a Heat of the Peter Mosman Opal.
The youngster bred to win the bitches only classic after her mother, Lilly Banner, achieved the feat in 2020.
“She’s very similar to her mum actually, a bomb out of the box and she can run blinding sections,” Gibbons said.
“But half this field can run time and these series always unearth good chasers. My girl probably wants a wide draw as well. I don’t think she loves outside pressure so she’ll need to come out and do everything right to qualify for the final. If she gets squeezed up, it’s all over.”
Heat 2 includes National Futurity finalist Candice Keeping, the emerging DAINTREE IDOL (29.56 PB) and unbeaten phenom, Depeche.
With Gibbons hopeful the occasion won’t be too much for his lightly-raced talent.
“Tulsi [Banner] has a lot of ability but she’s still green with only the 12 starts,” he added.
“Most of her racing has been during twilight meetings so I think her last start at Wentworth Park (a sixth-placed 30.36 effort) at night spooked her a bit. We’ve changed the routine around so hopefully she can handle it better this time out.”
“But we’ve taken some time with her. She had a season at the start of the year and when she came back she went 29.65 on debut at Wenty Park. Unfortunately she pulled up a bit sore after that run and had to have another month off so her best is still ahead of her.”
“I probably like Boston in the red as the better bet because I think the bitch needs a bit of luck.”
The duo - Boston and Tulsi Banner - part of a very successful litter by Blue Moon Rising, with the six raced greyhounds combining for 43 wins from 101 starts.
Brute Banner is a 16-time winner and recently had success in the Thunderbolt series, while Sergis Banner has run 29.58 at Wenty Park and is striking at 40% through her 15 career outings.
“They’re all pretty handy,” Gibbons offered.
“I had Brute Banner and he won 10 of his first 12 before Glen McKinley finally wore me down and I sold him. He is a very hard chaser and good on the arm.”
“And Sapphire Banner has been the hard luck story, she’s a professional placegetter [nine starts for seven seconds]. I keep saying to Lee [Rodgers] you might be eligible for a masters and a maiden soon the way she’s going.”
Sapphire Banner has run into some handy ones already with second placings behind Rinsed The Lot, Mr. Peregrine and Princess Killara
“But in all honesty, I don’t mind her doing that. Sometimes that can help a dog mature. Boston Banner did the same thing and he was really muscled up by the time he made his fifth grade races so that experience can really help despite not winning.”
The Group 1 Ladbrokes Vic Peters Classic and Peter Mosman Opal Heats kick off at 7:09pm this Saturday night at Wentworth Park, with the finals to be held on July 6.
