Dailly’s trio set to shine on Brisbane’s biggest stage

Photo credit: The Greyhound Recorder

By Isaac Murphy

There’s a reason the Andrea and Tom Dailly kennel is one of the most powerful in Australia.

They consistently produce the best dogs, and Albion Park will get to witness three of their stars in action on a ripping card of chasing Thursday night.

Headquarters hosts four heats of the $235,000 Group 1 Gold Bullion sprint, featuring Shima Shine and Faithy Bale, as well as three heats of the $113,000 Gold Cup with Sunset Bourbski a headline act for the kennel.

“He’s always been a quick dog and when he came back from a small let up and broke the track record in the heat of the Warragul Cup, that convinced us to come and have a crack at The Gold Bullion,” Dailly said.

“His disadvantage is obviously not seeing Albion Park before, but he’s come up with his favourite draw in the eight which makes me like our chances tomorrow night.

“He’s not a brilliant beginner but he can accelerate very quickly, so when he draws out like he has it gives him that small margin to get motoring and on the lure.”

The Group 1 TAB Top Gun winner and 2019 Million Dollar Chase runner-up is clearly the highest credentialled dog in the heats, but not having been to Brisbane before, Dailly isn’t taking anything for granted.

“We’re under no illusions it’s going to be an easy trip - quite the opposite - but he’s been sitting in the kennels here at home raring to go ready for a challenge,” he said.

“There’s no givens with the local dogs, we know Kooringa Lucy has run time there and at Wentworth Park and Cheap Wine was competitive as anything in the match races last week and that’s only a couple of them.

“Our bloke has developed a habit for winning over his career and even with a few unknowns you back him in to get up there and think on his feet.”

Having ticked boxes in Victoria and New South Wales, the dog will now look to conquer Queensland.

“He’s done a lot of racing in top company at home in Melbourne and Sydney but never in Brisbane, you want to show you can compete wherever you can go and that made this race a drawcard,” Dailly said.

“Group 1s are what we’re looking for with him, he’s in the prime of his career and we’d be mad not to send him to one of the biggest races in the country.”

Dailly was hesitant to declare him their best dog ever but said he was right in the conversation with some freakish accomplishments.

“We’ve been very lucky with a lot of good dogs over the years and it’s hard to compare him while he’s still racing, but I think he’s going to be right up there with one of our best when it’s all said and done,” he said.

“There’s just so much to like about him, he sees a gap and that blistering turn of foot is unmatched, hence his winning record.

“To own three track records at Warragul, Bendigo and Ballarat and sit a couple of hundredths off the Sandown record is amazing - you’d be rapt to have one.”

While Shima Shine grabs the headlines, Faithy Bale has been slowly building her own resume and has a lot in her favour when she jumps in her heat.

“Shima Shine gets most of the attention but Faithy Bale is not just there as a companion, we think she can really run a race,” Dailly said.

“Her form’s been fantastic at home winning in Free For All company and when we’ve taken her to tracks for the first time in the past - she’s handled it well.

“She beat Tiggerlong Tonk in a match race at Warragul not all that long ago, so that tells you what kind of class she’s in and if she can find the front from the three in her heat, I don’t think they’ll catch her.”

The bitch has competed at the highest level but never quite broken through, and Dailly thinks it’s her time now.

“She’s just turned three, seems to have fully matured and this is the time we’d like to see her make an imprint at Group level,” he said.

“She’s probably been just a length of two off competing with the real big guns at her best, but when she puts it all together, she’ll challenge anyone.

“She’s always been a strong sprinter and will get home well, if she can jump the way we know she can then she could give them some real headaches.”

Much like Faithy Bale, Sunset Bourbski is looking for a marquee win to elevate her status and the slashing stayer is primed for a big run in the Gold Cup heats after a promising Brisbane debut.

“She hits the line as hard as anything over the distance, having box one probably cost her in the Clem Jones last week and we’ve come up with it again, so we’ve just got to hope she handles it a bit better,” Dailly said.

“She’s a funny bitch, she’ll go forward early then ease back in the field and try to hook to the outside, you just don’t want to see her buried on the fence like that.

“She’s as genuine a stayer as you’ll get, she’d run 1000 metres if you let her, her runs home have been great but she doesn’t want to leave too much work against the better dogs.”

The bitch boasts victories over the Tornado Tears and True Detectives of the world in top company, but is yet to hit the jackpot.

“Unlike Shima Shine she hasn’t quite cracked that elusive Group 1, she’s raced and beaten those class of dogs here in Melbourne but hasn’t got it right on the big stage,” Dailly said.

“Group 1 staying races aren’t run every week and fortunately for us we’ve kept her sound and she’s racing well at the right time.

“She’s going to have to trim significant time off last week’s run to be a chance at winning the lot, but that’s why we got her up there early giving the stayer an extra week and I think you’ll see her at her best this week.”