Hunter Valley trainer Brian Tuft was as excited as a Golden Easter Egg winner after his rising five-year-old Sudden Splash returned after a break of more than six months to win last Monday night’s Macro Meats Masters Veterans Stakes at Wentworth Park.
Third oldest dog in the field, which was restricted to greyhounds four years and over, Sudden Splash trailed Cool Zack Knee to the home turn before getting up to win by a half-length from Goanna Man with the early leader a head away third.
Veterans races are held monthly over 280m at Wentworth Park and Brian, along with Darcy Martin, Goanna Man’s trainer, would love to see them held a little more often.
"Sudden Splash has now won 21 races and he would have won previously at Wentworth Park had he been able to run out a strong 520m,’’ Brian Tuft said after the race.
"Even so he has been a wonderful dog and was an 80/1 runner-up to Oaks Road in a Maitland Cup final.
"In July, 2013, he tore the tendon in a toe and I was advised to have the toe amputated if I hoped to resurrect his career.
"I didn’t want to have the toe off so decided to let nature take its course and hope time would heal it.
"Sudden Splash has come back really well and a week before his Wenty win on Monday he trialled 15.90 over 272m at The Gardens, pretty smart for an old timer considering the record is 15.60.
"Before migrating to Australia I trained 1,000 winners in England, many of them at unregistered courses which are known as flapping tracks and where there is big betting with bookmakers.
"I have won races in the United Kingdom with seven-year-old dogs and these veterans events are terrific ways of extending a greyhound’s career.
"Apart from training Sudden Splash, I was also a part-owner of Take The Kitty, the 2009 NSW Greyhound of the Year, which was trained by my great mate Kenny Cheetham."
Darcy Martin said Goanna Man still loved to race, but tended to cramp up in longer events and because he had won 20 races it was difficult to secure a run in short course sprints with the dog.
"These veterans races are terrific for dogs like him and encourage owners and trainers to keep their older greyhounds in training," he said.
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Neville Brown bought Dana Gwen from his mate Rod McDonald purely for breeding purposes but the brilliant front-runner is proving a more than handy money-spinner while she awaits her turn in the breeding barn.
Dana Gwen is a three-year-old daughter of Where’s Pedro and Rod McDonald’s 2009 Golden Easter Egg winner Dana Beatrice so is regally bred.
And with his stud dog Swift Fancy sweeping all before him at present, Neville Brown is becoming increasingly focussed on the breeding side of the sport.
But the Catherine Field owner-trainer could not conceal his delight when Dana Gwen led throughout to win over 280m in a slick 16.14 at Wentworth Park last Monday night.
No wonder because it was Dana Gwen’s ninth start for Neville and took her tally to a remarkable seven wins, a second and a third.
"She can’t run 520m but is a real lid-pinger with terrific early speed so Dana Gwen should be a good brood bitch," Neville said.
