Fernando Bale is being hailed as the equal of previous winners Brett Lee, Paua To Burn and Tenthill Doll after his race record shattering performance in Saturday night’s Golden Easter Egg at Wentworth Park.
Fernando-bale">Fernando Bale rocketed over the sloshy track in 29.48, taking .12sec off the race record set by Don’t Knocka Him in 2012.
Click here to watch a replay of the Golden Easter Egg final.
Tenthill Doll’s “come from behind’’ win in the 1996 Egg was the most remarkable I’ve seen while Brett Lee (2001) and Paua To Burn (2005) are considered the two greatest speedsters to win the race.
But while Wentworth Park is many lengths faster these days than it was a decade ago, who could argue with Fernando-bale">Fernando Bale’s effort being among the finest.
The National Derby winner again timed the start to perfection, crouching down with his face against the front of box eight as the lure approached.
“His ability to nail the start is uncanny,’’ owner Paul Wheeler’s son Brendan said after Saturday’s race.
“Once he settles in the box he is like a statue, he doesn’t move a muscle as he anticipates the lids lifting.’’
Fernando-bale">Fernando Bale gave the Wheeler family their third Golden Easter Egg but Brendan revealed that Saturday night’s result was the clan’s first trifecta.
The Andrea Dailly-trained Fernando-bale">Fernando Bale defeated the Jenny Hunt-prepared Dawkins Bale by nearly four lenghs with Dyna Nico, from the Andrea Dailly kennel, snaring the minor prizemoney.
Trainer Robert Britton labelled Space Star a “superstar’’ after the dog scored his third Group 1 success in Saturday night’s AAA Radiator Specialists Association Cup.
“I don’t hand out praise lightly but this dog is entitled to be called a superstar after giving a quality bitch like Lady Toy a start to win tonight,’’ Britton said.
Michael Ivers, whose family owns Space Star and who bred the dog, said later: “This is unquestionably the best greyhound I have bred.’’
Part-owner Jason Lymbery disclosed an offer equivalent of $150,000 had been refused for Black Bear Lee in the lead-up to the dog’s win in Saturday’s group three Ladbrokes Magic Maiden final.
Black Bear Lee, trained by Ruth Matic, came out running and bullocked his way across wide running Aqua Phoenix to lead at the first turn before winning easily.
“We were offered $120,000 cash plus prizemoney incentives which amounted to a total of $150,000,’’ Lymbery said on Saturday.
“It was tempting and we thought long and hard about it but this dog is so special so we decided to keep him.’’
It is believed the same buyer instead purchased Kihael Kaluna who was sent out a warm favourite in Black Bear Lee’s race.
Kihael Kaluna was fastest heat and semi-final winner and lost no admirers with his first defeat because he missed the jump and then was skittled when going fast towards the leaders at the first turn.
Kihael Kaluna is tipped to join the kennels of Mark Gatt.
Chris Black took up breeding and owning greyhounds after losing a leg due to cancer in 1995.
And on Saturday night the Nabiac-based breeder enjoyed his biggest win as an owner when the Christine Proctor-trained Lord Gee led throughout to win the group three New Sensation final.
After the race Black, who owned the dog’s dam Oh Em Gee, revealed that Lord Gee was the slowest of four siblings when being educated.
“When he was being broken in Lord Gee was like a big immature kid and was the slowest among four in the litter, but he has kept improving .’’
See you next week!
