Davis breeding plan a showcase of success on Group 1 night

By Pat McLeod

Veteran owner and breeder Peter Davis will reluctantly trek the 12 hours to Albion Park to see five of his ‘babies’ race across two Group 1 Finals on Thursday night.

He’s no fan of the long drive from Pheasants Nest, west of Wollongong, but more to the point, he doesn’t want to upset a winning formula.

For two-and-a-half years Peter and wife Sonia have sent a conga line of racers to Tom Tzouvelis’ Brisbane kennels with incredible success.

Thursday night is a blaring indicator of that success – four runners in the Group 1 Gold Cup Final over 710 metres and one runner and both reserves in the Group 1 Gold Bullion Final over 520 metres. 

“A part of me doesn't want to be there on Thursday night,” Davis confirmed.

“I haven't been there (during the dogs’ recent campaigns), so it is about bad juju. Things have worked out so well without me being there.”

Apart from the ‘juju’, Davis is rapt that Thursday night’s highpoint of the Queensland Golden Greys Summer Racing Carnival will showcase the culmination of his breeding master-plan – strength and speed.

That combination may seem the obvious floor plan to any breeding program, but Peter and Sonia Davis have struck a rich vein of that formula through their super dam, Sherbini.

All five of their Finalists on Thursday night - Pursuer (box one), Scintillate (box two), Sorority (box seven) and Sanisha (box eight) in the Gold Cup distance event and Saanvi (box six) in the Gold Bullion sprint - are out of the My Bro Fabio and Hidden Assets breeding phenomena.

“The aim of what I wanted to breed, for distance as well as speed, really came into focus with Sherbini about five years ago,” Davis said.

“That is when I thought, ‘I really want to put stamina into these girls’. The good brood bitches that I have had are all out of the same family, the Cheeky Sprite line, that includes Queen Lauryn. That is where the back-end strength is.

“The focus was on accentuating the good qualities that would result in speed and strength, quality dogs that could run through a variety of distances. I have done a lot of research into breeding over the years and with Sherbini I have come up with a line that is intrinsically strong. So, on Thursday night there is great pride and joy in the fact that this has been part of a plan.

“And, we will just continue that process of finding the stamina around those girls. We are fortunate in that the female line is so productive and successful.”

However, Davis does not approach either of Thursday night’s Finals with confidence, even the Gold Cup that includes four of his ‘girls’.

“My expectation isn’t that we will win it, but I just hope we get our chance,” he says of the 710 metres race.

“If they are good enough, then they are good enough. I believe in greyhound racing it is more about opportunity than ability. I am just proud that the girls have qualified.

“Sanisha’s win over Valpolicella in the heats was significant because Tony (Zammit) and that dog have done exceptionally well. Sanisha, well you have to remember that was her first time over the 710 metres, so she has achieved quite a lot for her time on the track so far.

“Tom (Tzouvelis) thinks that she is a month away from the dog that she will eventually be. Last Thursday night was a great fillip for us because she too lived up to the promise that we thought she would achieve. Of the others, Pursuer really put in a mighty performance on heats night.

“Scintillate had nine months off with a debilitating wrist issue. Sorority had tonsillitis that we had a lot of trouble with and so her record should be a lot better.”

Davis, who bought his first dog in 1981 and whelped his first litter in 1990, has also been a senior official of the sport in New South Wales as well as a significant player in the sport’s media ranks.

He said his partnership with Tom Tzouvelis started back in 1998 when the Queenslander stayed with him during a successful southern campaign, winning the Dapto Classic with Western Marshal.

That continued with Davis sending some dogs north to be trained by Tzouvelis.

The association took a pivotal twist about two-and-a-half years ago when Davis and his wife decided to entrust three dogs with potential to the northern kennel – Sunburst, Shaye and Showdown.

Tzouvelis and kennel lieutenant, Jedda Cutlack, turned them into mini goldmines with the trio retiring with a combined prize money tally of $553,955.

“That basically solidified the relationship,” Davis said.

“Now, all our dogs go to Tom, as long as he is able to take them. Over the years I have learnt to use quality people with what we do. It always pays.

“My wife Sonia does a good a job as anyone whelping the litters. If there are four or fewer pups in a litter we look after them, but bigger litters always go to Marty Hallinan to be reared. I credit a lot of our success to the way Marty rears the dogs. That is the same with Tommy.

“First and foremost, Tommy is a mate. There are no secrets. There is no guesswork.  We are honest with each other around what will happen with each dog. Jedda works so hard and is an absolute whirlwind. Her input is real. Tom has the experience, Jedda has the energy.”

Davis said the attractive prize money in Queensland was a bonus.

“The money is there and I have a very, very good trainer, so the stars have aligned,” Davis said.

“We only breed two litters a year, so that is why I am so proud that so many have been successful. So, as far as the distance Final goes, we are hopeful.” We would love one of them to win. But in the end that will come down to opportunity.”