De Ferran in frame for Queensland Derby Final

by Alex Nolan

Hall of Fame trainer Tony Zammit is confident a fitter De Ferran can make his presence felt in Thursday’s Sennachie at Stud Queensland Derby Final at Albion Park.  

De Ferran won a thrilling heat of the series restricted to greyhounds aged 30 months and younger last week despite entering the series underdone.

Zammit spent three weeks keeping the son of Fabregas and the diminutive Pennybacker on ice as he recovered from a hip injury sustained in the QGOLD Summer Sprint on December 8.

The freshen-up didn’t deter punters from stepping in to the ultra-promising black dog in his heat.

Sent out the $1.70 favourite, De Ferran got the nod in a tight photo finish over the fast-finishing Showman Jack.

But Zammit believes De Ferran will take plenty of benefit for the run.

“Normally he’s the sort of dog you have to give plenty of work because he’s a real bludger in trackwork,” Zammit said.

“If you free run him he won’t run by himself, you’ve got to put him with another dog.

“I didn’t want to push him too hard because he hurt his hip so I had to work on him to get it right.

“I can give him a bit more hard work this week and that will make him better for the final.”

De Ferran has drawn box seven for the $75,000 Group 2, just the second time he will don the black rug in a career that spans 22 starts for 15 wins.

Although De Ferran’s win time of 30.36 was the slowest of the five heats contested at Albion Park, the dog boasts a best time of 29.83 for winning a heat of the Listed Queensland Flame.

Sent out a $4.80 chance in the final won by Tyanna Belle, De Ferran’s Flame chances were extinguished early when he found trouble at the first turn, before picking up the injury a week later.

“That good hard run will help him for the final,” Zammit said.

“When you look at the last race, Michael (and Selena Zammit’s) dog (Jay Is Jay) and the winner both broke 30 and the one before was a good heat.

“It’s going to be a good final … there will be three good finals.”

The Derby joins the Orson Allen at Stud Bogie Leigh Futurity and the Box 1 Photography Golden Sands on a Group 2 triple-header at ‘The Creek’.

Zammit will be represented by up-and-coming middle-distance chaser Rich Link in the Golden Sands.

The former New South Wales-trained dog made an immediate impression stepping up to 600m at Albion Park in November, recording slick first sectionals en route to winning three of his first four attempts over the journey.

That early toe has been lacking at his past three outings, but the dog showed toughness to defy a wide run throughout much of last week’s heat taken by Shaye.

“He’s the sort of dog that gets himself really stirred up when you put him in the box, for some reason he’s jumped better when he draws the odd numbers because he’s had more time in the box to settle,” Zammit said.

“But the night he won from the pink two weeks ago he probably didn’t put any pressure on himself because he weaved through to the rail.

“Wednesday’s run was good because he couldn’t get to the fence and had to sit outside of those dogs and worked hard to get to second.

"I’m hoping that next week … he can jump a little better.”

Rich Link will exit box six in the final, with his heat victor Shaye drawn in box one.

Fast-finishers Zipping Kyrgios and Zipping Alabama are drawn to Rich Link’s direct outside in boxes seven and eight respectively, with Lektra Rhino drawn to his inside in box five.

“There are five good beginners in that final and three more that can run on late,” Zammit said.

“Zipping Kyrgios and Zipping Alabama flew home and run second and drew seven and eight are going to be away from all the trouble so it’s going to be a great final.

“Even the Futurity Final is going to be a good one.

“We’re doing really well up here in Queensland.

“New South Wales used to be the best prizemoney state and we’re catching them now.

“We’re going to have a $1 million race next year in the Brisbane Cup.

“We’re going to be able to get close to competing with the Victorians for their prizemoney.”