Long haul worth every kilometre for Lagogiane

By Alex Nolan

Peter Lagogiane’s car barely had the chance to cool down after the long journey from Sydney to Brisbane on Thursday before he’d fired it back up ready to make the return journey.

But, the Llandilo trainer’s long haul felt worthwhile after French Martini, having her first look at Albion Park, scorched the track in a 520 metre trial to stop the clock in 29.75 seconds. 

French Martini is the newest flying machine being aimed at the 2022 TAB Queensland Winter Greyhound Racing Carnival, which launched at Albion Park on Thursday.  

It comes off a blistering last start effort to win the Group 3 Ladies Bracelet Final at Wentworth Park on Million Dollar Chase night.

The Lagogiane name is synonymous with the rich race night, having won two of the first four editions with Mystic Riot in 2018 and Handsome Prince in 2020.

But, the kennel appears to have unearthed another star in French Martini, who handled her first long haul trip to Brisbane with aplomb.

Lagogiane said after a quick kip overnight, he and French Martini would head back to Sydney before returning on June 9 for a crack at the Group 2 Flying Amy Classic.

“She’s worthy of the long trip,” Lagogiane said.

“I knew she’d go good first up but we just didn’t know the travel part, sitting in the car for that long.

“But, she’s done an enormous job.

"She travelled up better than me and that’s saying something for a young bitch on the up.”

The trial alone will see French Martini likely start a short favourite in her heat of the Flying Amy and she is already prominent in TAB’s Sky Racing Brisbane Cup market at $12.

“She’s gone 29.40 or so seconds at Wentworth Park so everywhere we’ve gone with her she usually runs pretty quick times,” Lagogiane said.

“I’m not surprised she ran that time, but I would have been disappointed if she went any slower.

“We’ll bring her up for the Flying Amy in a couple of weeks, but we’ll get her home first and see how she pulls up from.

“I was here last year, stayed with Dan Henry up at Churchable and had a ball.

“I’m looking forward to coming up again this year, then again next year.”

The Scott Tyson-trained Zambora Tiger, who won in 29.58 seconds at Wentworth Park last start, trialled just prior and completed the course in 30.10 seconds.