By Alex Nolan
Northern Rivers trainer Reg Gardoll has an eye on the 2023 TAB Queensland Winter Greyhound Racing Carnival with history-making Dave Brett Memorial Final winner Starline Express.
The son of Fernando Bale was run down late in a heat last week after running a blistering first section, but that wasn’t the case on Thursday, as he careered away to win by 11.25 lengths in race record time.
The 18-month-old pup out of handy producer Spooky Sensation lowered the previous record of 29.90 seconds, set by Jackson Benz in 2017.
In doing so, he became just the third winner to go under 30 seconds in the race’s 21-year history, and defied a 10-year trend of dogs drawn inside box four to claim the 520 metre feature.
Gardoll, a Group 1-winning trainer of the 2005 Vic Peters Classic with Watch The Web, is never short of a handy dog in his kennel.
Having spent some time getting to know the late Dave Brett in the 1980s, Gardoll said he had always hoped to enter a dog in the race.
“He’s the only dog I’ve ever had capable of competing in it,” Gardoll told Racing Queensland.
“I think he’s still a bit young to be putting over these distances, but he was too talented not to try.
“As I was breaking him in he said ‘here I am’ right away.
“He was running times pups just don’t run.
“He could only run short distances but he’s getting a lot stronger now as he matures.”
Backed into favouritism late in play, Starline Express ran 5.45 seconds to the winning post the first time and put the race to bed shortly after, as almost every dog in the chasing pack found some trouble.
Early favourite Mighty Gunn was only fairly away before being checked back to last early, while King Of Cool and Black Monaro – whose ownership includes legendary jockey Pam O’Neill – both copped checks as they battled out the minor placings.
Starline Express’ litter sister Bella Sensation crossed the line fifth, but the night belonged to the winner and his trainer, who hopes the trip to Albion was not just a hit-and-run mission.
“We’ll just poke along steadily, he’s only 20-months-old and only a baby,” Gardoll said.
“We just hope halfway through next year we’ll be coming back for one of the big races, that’s what we’re aiming at.”
Gardoll didn’t shy when asked where the pup ranked among the better dogs to have graced his kennel.
“He’s one of the best,” he said.
“I won a Group 1 with Watch The Web but he’s up there with them because of his early pace.”
Son of Dave Brett, Hall of Fame winning trainer Tony Brett, was on hand to present Gardoll with the winning trophy and thanked the club for continuing to honour his Dad long after his passing.
Earlier in the program, the Cyndie Elson-trained Atomic Bill ended a frustrating sequence of minor placings when he claimed the meeting opener.
The son of Fernando Bale flew the lids from box six to find the front going through the catching pen before going on to score by 8.5 lengths in 29.91 seconds.
The Tony Shot-trained Hidden Agenda notched his 10th career victory by taking the mixed third and fourth grade over 520 metres in race seven, while the Ray and Mary Burman kennel scored a winning double via Refulgent in race eight and Blue Hornet in race 10.