No Impact, but Horchata can make one in Cup

By Alex Nolan

The Ellis name can be etched onto the Group 3 Capalaba Cup for a second straight year but it won’t come via the defending champion greyhound, or his trainer.

Kevin Ellis won an edition of the Cup in 2021 with Impact, but this year it’s his nephew Shane Ellis who will bring an in-form Horchata to Sunday’s heats down the 366 metre straight track.

Horchata returned to the races after a minor injury lay-off last Sunday and recorded an impressive first-up win in a personal best time of 19.46 seconds, beating 25-time Capalaba winner Bogie Fury by three-quarters of a length.

“That was a good hit-out because he hadn’t raced for about six weeks, the run should hopefully top him off,” Shane said. 

“I only slipped him once prior and we did the remainder of the work at home.”

Horchata sustained a minor shoulder injury when checked in a heat of the Queensland Straight Track Championship on August 7, one of two luckless runs that ended a three-win streak at Capalaba.   

The Velocity Lodge-owned son of Keybow is yet to nail the start in six efforts at Capalaba but picks himself up quickly in pursuit of his rivals.

In four wins his scalps include of Bogie Fury, Black Comanche and Champagne Jazzy, and he was only beaten a lip by Ninetymile King in a Straight Of Origin heat.  

“He’s a bit flat footed at the start there because there’s no noise with the drag lure,” Shane said.

“Last week he was there and I thought he’d jump out better, but that wasn’t the case.”

Horchata will exit box five in the opening heat, which comes up as race five on the Capalaba card.

Proven Capalaba dogs Beck And Call from box eight, Fernando Grand in box seven and last-start Sydney Cup plate-getter Oh Oh Range in box six are drawn to his outside.

“What we’re hoping for on Sunday is for him to jump, keep out of trouble and get a clear run to the line and if he does, he’s right in it,” Shane said.

Horchata will being flying the flag solo for the Ellis kennel in the Cup heats, with former Cup winner Impact sidelined through injury.

After being checked out of a race at Albion Park more than six weeks ago, a blood sample revealed found the Group 1 Brisbane Cup Finalist to be “out of sorts” and given a brief spell.

The son of Fabregas, also raced by the Williams’ at Velocity Lodge, was on track to resume in the Cup heats after scorching the track in a recent Ipswich trial.

“But, he injured himself about three weeks ago at the trial,” Shane explained.

“He ran real quick time but the next morning I checked him over and he’d split the tendon sheath behind the stopper.

"Not the tendon but the sheath.

“Coming home from the trials I thought, ‘Wow, he’s back. Everything’s sweet’.

“He’ll be out for another six weeks but mentally he’s just ‘go, go, go.’

“When I take the other dogs out he just goes nuts. Once I’ve worked the other dogs I come back to walk him but it’s like taking a lion out of its cage, he just wants to go.”

Impact was transferred to Shane earlier this year, when Kevin took a step back from training to travel.

He recently returned from a three-month trip.