There’s a ‘Cup feel’ to Fernando Grand’s Capalaba return

By Pat McLeod

Equal track record holder Fernando Grand gets his chance to show ‘what might have been’ when he returns to the Capalaba straight track for the Capelbourne Cup on Tuesday.

Gary Mackay’s speed machine last campaigned at the boutique greyhound track on October 1, winning a heat of the Group 2 Capalaba Cup.

However, Fernando Grand, who had been posted as Cup favourite on the back of running the equal track record (19.22 seconds) on September 24, suffered an injury in the heat and was scratched from the Final.

The 69-race veteran successfully returned to racing with a win at Ipswich last Saturday night.

He is in again at Ipswich on Thursday night in the Final of the Ipswich Sprint over 431 metres. 

There will be plenty of interest in Fernando Grand’s Capalaba return, considering he will meet the first four place-getters from the Capalaba Cup, including the triumphant Valhalla (trained by Tom Tzouvelis).

Of course, there is a slight difference in the prize money.

The Capalaba Cup was worth a total of $112,500 ($75,000 to the winner).

The Capelbourne Cup, a non-TAB event, has prize money of $7,700.

The Beenleigh-based Mackay said his chaser’s return to the straight track was not about ‘proving a point’ in the wake of his Capalaba Cup scratching.

“No, there is nothing to prove,” Mackay said.

“My disappointment at missing the big race ended when I scratched him.

“Of course, I will be very interested to see how he goes in this race, especially against Valhalla and I am sure Tommy (Tom Tzouvelis) feels the same.

“Valhalla is a great little dog. He has travelled, competed against the best down south on their straight track (Healesville). He has done very well.

“This is a very good field, very fast.

“I will just be glad to bring the dog back to Capalaba. It is such a great track.”

Other dogs returning on Tuesday from the Capalaba Cup are second-placed All Lies Ahead (Stephen Keep), Top Gun (Darren Russell), who was third in the cup and fourth-placed Tira Mira (Cliff Houston).

The Capelbourne Cup, always held on Melbourne Cup day, has been a popular innovation since it was first raced in 2015.

The order of entry for this event is determined by the fastest race time recorded for each greyhound since January 1.

The Jeff Crawford-trained Leeroy Rogue, who holds the track record with Fernando Grand, won the Capelbourne Cup three years in a row, from 2016 through to 2018.

Last year’s race was won by Terry Priest’s On The Radar.

Mackay said as long as Fernando Grand recovered well from his Thursday night Ipswich commitment, he expected the dog to be at his best next Tuesday.

“He is fit now,” he said.

“He has had a few runs on a private straight track and he is back to his best.

“The great thing about this dog is that every time he competes, he just gives his best. You can't ask any more of your dog.”

More details about Tuesday's Cup can be found here