John White hoping for home track luck in Bundaberg Cup heats

By Jordan Gerrans

Local trainer John White is keen to see Bro’s Girl bring her sizzling Rockhampton form back to Bundaberg when the Cup heats for 2023 kick-off on Monday.

With Bundaberg out of action in recent months for racing due to extensive redevelopments at the club, the Bucca-based trainer regularly headed north to race at Callaghan Park.

Kennel star Bro’s Girl won five from eight at Rockhampton when Bundaberg’s track was being upgraded, as well as three other minor placings.

She did not run outside of the top two in any of her eight races at Rocky. 

As one of the local kennels in the heats for the Cup, veteran trainer White would normally be banking on some home track advantage with Bro’s Girl.

As the black bitch has only had one start on the newly opened facility, White is eager to see her Rocky form translate to her local track.

The long-time local trainer is smiling to have the Bundaberg track back racing.

“She had a good run up at Rocky and she has great form,” he said.

After last racing at Rockhampton on New Year's Eve last year, the daughter of My Bro Fabio resumed with a third-placed effort in a heat of the Bundaberg Wildcard earlier this month.

White and Bro’s Girl will now progress through to Monday’s Cup heats, jumping from the eight alley in the first of four heats.

They are all running for a slot in the $112,525 Group 3 Bundaberg Cup on March 27.

With the massive prize money on offer, many of the big South East Queensland kennels will make the journey north to the grass track.

“It is a big ask against these Brisbane dogs, there as some good dogs coming up for this race,” White said.

“The eight will suit her, that will be good for her.

“She does not mind running a bit wide and she has a habit of sometimes coming out a little bit slow of the boxes.

“With a bit of luck she can come out a bit slower and then not have to run into the back of dogs.”

White prepares his small team of dogs on a 40 acre property about half an hour from Bundaberg at Bucca.

He has been a hobby trainer in the area for the best part of 25 years.

The veteran dog man was anything but disappointed from Bro’s Girl's effort in the Wildcard heat.

He believes she would have gone close in the event if she got a clean run.

“She was very unlucky, she should have won that race,” he said.

“She got up to run third after there was some trouble at a corner, so it is a pretty good effort.”

The 13-time career winner has done all her racing under the White banner after the trainer purchased her from fellow local dog trainer Brian Terry.

Terry bred the My Bro Fabio and Spin That Wheel litter and White has raced Bro’s Girl and Burn Out from it.

Burn Out raced at Bundaberg last Monday but will now have a spell.

Another greyhound from the litter - Koolboo Supreme – will also contest Monday’s Cup heats.

Koolboo Supreme remained with Terry and has won six career races.

As the Wildcard event could not be rescheduled before the heats of the Bundaberg Cup this Monday, the greyhound to progress to the Bundaberg Cup final was determined by a ballot.

QRIC stewards conducted a ballot on Tuesday and the greyhound to progress to the Bundaberg Cup Final is Midnight Cambla, who is trained by Louise Cameron.

There will be four Cup heats on Monday with the Final to be run seven days later.