Miss Integrity makes long drive worth it for trainer Robert Andrews

By Jordan Gerrans 

Robert Andrews will only make the drive north from Stratheden to the Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club if he has a fair opinion of a dog in his kennel.

He did it a few years back with Short Pork, who went on to make the Derby final in 2019, and he is doing the same this week with Miss Integrity for the rescheduled Group 2 Bogie Leigh Futurity heats.

Andrews and his black and white bitch were at Albion Park seven days prior for the heats before the rain came and did not stop, forcing the heats to go back a week.

The well-bred Miss Integrity, from a Barcia Bale and On The Runway litter, has only missed the top three in five of her career 21 starts and Andrews thinks the future is bright for the youngster.

Andrews, who has been in dogs since he was a teenager, has been surprised with how quickly Miss Integrity has advanced in a short period of time and believes bigger and better things are again on the horizon in around six months once she matures a little more.

“She is going to make the grade down the road, she is only young,” Andrews, who prepares a team of 16 greyhounds in NSW, said.

“She is very well bred, which goes back to some very good ones in Melbourne.

“She is coming along good and she is in with a hope on Thursday night, she is better boxed outside than she is inside.

“She has a better record out wide; she is going well."

Miss Integrity has had a look or two at the Albion Park track already, running third over 520 metres last month in a time of 30.19 seconds when with the leading Zammit kennel for a short period of time.

The young bitch was purchased by the Allan And Keith Hilzinger Syndicate, a group of owners Andrews has struck up a close friendship with recently.

Andrews was introduced to the owners by top Innisplain trainer Darren Russell, who suggested he take on own of their dogs, and it has gone on from there, leading towards Miss Integrity landing in Stratheden.

“I only normally go up to Brisbane when I have a good one and this one is going to be a good little bitch,” the trainer said of Miss Integrity.

“I am getting better quality dogs now, with a new owner Allan Hilzinger on board, he has been really, really good.

“It is a matter of getting the quality of the dog to make the drive worth it.

“There is no point driving the three hours just for fun. When the good ones are about, I go up.”

Short Pork was the last dog of quality Andrews remembers bringing north to the Sunshine State with a bit of excitement about, a dog who would go on to win 25 races, including being Group-placed.

Kennel mate of Rockstar Rebel, who is also owned by the Hilzinger team, comes to Brisbane with Miss Integrity this week and will go around in the second last event of the 12 race program.

Rockstar Rebel, who has won three from his last five, will wear the green rug on Thursday evening. 

“He has not trialled or anything so it will be his first time there,” Andrews said.

“We thought we would bring him with us, this race is not beyond him.

“He ran a real good time at Lismore the other day and then he beat a really good field over 600 metres at Casino.

“He is up to it; it is just a matter of him wanting the fence and where he sits when he goes through that first turn. He will be strong home.”

The TAB Golden Greys Summer Carnival will be staged from December to February with Group racing commencing at Albion Park later this month with the Queensland Derby and the Bogie Leigh Futurity.

Three heats of the Group 2 Queensland Derby will also be run on Thursday night at Albion Park ahead of the Final in seven days’ time.

Click here to see the full program for the 2021-22 TAB Golden Greys Summer Carnival.