Szubanski Fury’s win at start 100 in last Thursday’s Winmore Greyhound Kennels Stake (512 metres) at Tara Raceway was one that came out of left field, according to Monarto South owner-trainer Tony Hinrichsen. “To be honest, with her last win over 515 metres being at Angle Park close to 12 months ago I’d just about given up running her in anything much further than 450 metres.
“In fact, if she had run in the vicinity of 30.50 seconds today I would have been more than happy,” he said. The brindle bitch went into the 5+ wins time-graded affair from box one and with a personal best time at the track and distance of 30.68 seconds.
As such, her credentials hardly warranted an odds-on quote but that’s what she was; and she won with all the authority of a short-priced favourite. Away well from the inside, she led all the way, eventually defeating kenn-elmate Just Kenny by 61⁄4 lengths in a best of day 29.91 seconds – and that’s a pretty handy run at Tara Raceway any day of the week.
Bred by Hinrichsen, Szubanski Fury, a winner of 12 races, is by Barcia Bale out of Destini Firebird, all five members of the December 2017 litter having won races. Litter sister Bottled Fury raced for the 100th time when going around at Angle Park on Monday night.
Destini Firebird, who is by Kelsos Fusileer out of Miss Abilene and boasts strong US bloodlines, recently whelped a second litter of five by Barcia Bale. Meanwhile, later in the day, the Hinrichsen trained rising five-year-old Filthy Phantom ran third behind Yellow And Black in the Bourne Kennels Stake (400m). This took his overall record to 211 starts for 20 wins, 32 seconds and 41 thirds.
In all probability no other greyhounds currently racing in SA would match Filthy Phantom’s 211 starts. In fact, he’s not all that far behind the Crystal Brook legend Green Lizard who started racing on SA tracks in May 1999 and finished five years later.
Named after a poker machine, Green Lizard raced on 223 occasions for 64 wins, 44 seconds and 31 thirds at Angle Park, Gawler, Strathalbyn, Barmera, Port Pirie, Port Augusta and Whyalla.
Age-wise, Filthy Phantom still has a couple of years up his sleeve. And Hinrichsen, well aware of the Lizard’s exploits, will continue the chase for bragging rights next week when the Phantom races up the straight at Murray Bridge. But the “world record” for most number of race starts by a greyhound might take a bit of catching.
Apparently that distinction belongs to Bella Dainty Deb, a US greyhound by Dodgem By Design out of Bella Iona, who raced on 501 occasions – yes, 501 – for 57 wins, 92 seconds and 76 thirds.
Bella Iona also produced other “iron dogs” such as Mega Windy Road (384 starts), Mega Winky (249), Bella Daniela (338) and Bella Dishwalla (220). Incidentally, Filthy Phantom’s litter sister Breemelia Swift, who raced on 103 occasions and won her last race at Tara Raceway in August 2019, recently was mated with Aston Dee Bee.
Littermates impress for Kerry and the Captain A couple of pups by Unlawful Entry out of Proud Fantasy, purchased by Cap Abbott and Kerry Hawker as four-month-old pups from Victoria, were impressive winners at last Thursday’s Tara Raceway time-graded meeting.
Trained at Edenhope by Abbott and now racing as Cadillac Prince and Another Pick, the former found the front down the back in the Rock’s Tavern Stake (512 metres) for Hawker and then held out Aston Model for a length win in a smart 30.06 seconds. Then, the Abbott-owned Another Pick, after taking the lead off the back in the Metal Worx Stake (400m) raced away from Fernando Deeds for a 43⁄4 lengths win in a best of day 23.04 seconds.
And how about the run of Another Pick last Sunday in the Progreyhoundtips.com Open Stake (400m) at Tara Raceway – surely one of the best 400 metres races to be run at the Mount Gambier track.
The white and blue bitch chased Jervois Bruit throughout, eventually running a neck second and beating home some seriously quick greyhounds. But back to Thursday and Abbott took training honour s for the day with a treble after Nyssa’s Girl ran down Cee Magic to win the JB Irrigation Stake (400m) in 23.71 seconds.
For Abbott it was a quick return after he purchased Nyssa’s Girl from Mount Moriac trainer Kevin Ward earlier this month for $1000.
