Dalwhinnie leaves vapour trail across Rising Stars heats

By Pat McLeod

Greyhound racing sensation Dalwhinnie jetted into Brisbane on Wednesday and then flew around Albion Park on Thursday night, leaving a vapour trail across the five heats of the Rising Stars. 

Even more compelling were the comments from trainer Bill Butler directly after the run.

"We are nowhere near the bottom of him yet," Butler said. 

The recent Wentworth Park 520 metre record breaker (29.03 seconds) claimed the opening heat of the night with a nine-length win over Casey Dargusch’s Becky Dutton, with WA’s Page One News (trained by Kody Charles) third, in a very swift 29.65 seconds. 

“I flew up on Wednesday and I think we will probably do that for the Final,” Butler said.

“That was new for him and we will see how he travels back. As long as he feels comfortable when we go back to Canberra we will probably do the same again next week. As far as this run, I was really happy. It was nice to see him come out of the boxes a bit better.

“This dog is a freak and he is only getting better.

“I have had dogs in the past that have run really good times, but we are nowhere near the bottom of him yet. It is freaky to try to understand what he might do.”

While Dalwhinnie spread the ‘wow’ factor across Albion Park, another ‘border hopper’, Grafton greyhound club boss John Corrigan and his exciting bitch Uno Nangar, calmly continued their magical run.

The Ipswich Futurity winner was the only other heat runner to break 30 seconds, claiming her heat in 29.80 seconds, over Big Boy Bentley (Ray Burman), with Tarawi Buster (Jayson Valentine) third.

The Primo Uno and Nangar Diva chaser will now line up for her sixth win in a row in the $30,000-to-the-winner Final.

“My daughter Paula drove up with me and we were discussing how we have won five in a row on bush tracks in the past, but it is something else to do it on city tracks,” Corrigan said.

“One of the most pleasing aspects of her racing is that she keeps improving and this is an indication of that - she broke 30 seconds here for the first time.

“We are in the Final and they will know that we are there.”

Evergreen greyhound trainer Tony Apap also secured a Final spot with Ruin Art, whose ownership group has thoroughbred ‘blue-blood’ connections.

“(Gold Coaster) Luke Henderson owns this dog and he has had Caulfield and Melbourne Cup success as a thoroughbred owner,” explains Apap.

“He has a heap of mates involved in the dog and they are really having some fun. The good thing about his dog is that he is quick early.

“If he can get the rails again in the Final that would be great.”

And, of course, there could not be a local feature Final with the Tom Tzouvelis kennel represented.

In fact Tzouvelis will ‘own’ three boxes in the Final.

In another gala night for the Park Ridge trainer, he took out two of the heats with Daysea’s Rory (30.06 seconds) and Gretzky (30.05 seconds).

He gained a third berth in the Final with Prim And Precise, whose time of 30.23 seconds was one of the three fastest second-placed dogs.

The other two ‘fastest seconds’ to gain a berth in the Final were Ray Burman’s Big Boy Bentley (30.08) and Col Hamilton’s Red Sun (30.19 seconds).

Tzouvelis’ night was far from over at the conclusion of the five Rising Stars heats.

His success continued with Serrai ($13) winning race seven and Saanvi ($2.15) who won over 520 metres.

In other highlights on the night, superstar Jay Is Jay’s track return continued via the winner’s circle when he claimed a 520 metre event in 30.16 seconds.

Second was kennelmate Cluster.

Trainers Joanne Price and Tony Apap both had winning doubles -  Price with Rusty Demon and Seaway Flyer and Apap with Ruin Art and Cheers For Bella.