By Alex Nolan
Former star Queensland chaser Maurice Minor has sired his first winner at Ipswich.
The Jedda Cutlack-trained debutant Waikiki Surfer sped away to claim the opening race at Tuesday’s meeting, taking out the maiden race over 431 metres in 25.49 seconds.
Waikiki Surfer is the fifth greyhound to debut from Maurice Minor’s first litter out of Soft Sand, raced by the Temnick Syndicate.
Maurice Minor was a flagship chaser for the Tom Tzouvelis team between 2017 and 2019, with Soft Sand spending some time in the same kennel during a career that spanned close to four years.
Maurice Minor raced at a high level right across Australia, making Group finals in Adelaide, Melbourne, Darwin, Richmond, Townsville, Cranbourne and Brisbane.
Two stand out victories among his 22 career wins from 81 starts include the 2017 Ipswich Derby and the 2019 Queensland Sprint Final, after which he would finish fifth in the Group 1 Nationals Sprint Final at Sandown.
“He’s a fast animal. There’s no doubt about it,” Tzouvelis told Racing Queensland at the time.
Trainer Jedda Cutlack took to social media to express her joy following the maiden win.
"So thrilled to see Maurice Minor sire his first winner with Waikiki Surfer winning his first start today," Cutlack said.
"Well done Beata Bottkos and Tom, and well done Walter."
Soft Sand was a three-time Group 3 finalist in the Darwin, Townsville and Rockhampton Cups.
She too would finish her career with 22 race track victories, having earned more than $80,000 in prize money.
The litter will be represented in Wednesday’s heats of the Listed Dave Brett Memorial at Albion Park with Amendola, who has drawn box three in race six, and Jupiter, who will exit box seven in race seven.
The former has improved with each race to date, placing second last start over the 520 metres at Albion Park behind Sooking Sam.
Jupiter enters the series as a narrow runner-up at his only race track appearance over 366 metres at Capalaba on September 11.
Maurice Minor – by Cosmic Rumble from Shabeky – is a full relation to current handy sprinter Tyanna Belle, who lines up in race 11 at Albion Park on Thursday.
The maiden win for Maurice Minor comes less than a week after Albion Park track record holder Sennachie sired his first Group winner with Hara’s Herbie in the Ipswich Cup.