Country Cup success would be cherry on the top for More Peaches

By Pat McLeod

Mick Boody can picture the perfect finale to More Peaches’ race career, but even he admits that script is ‘a bit far-fetched’.

But, fairytale ending or not, the veteran conditioner says the current Country Cup campaign is almost certain to be More Peaches’ swansong.

The former Townsville Cup winner rekindled some of that championship form last week to win through to Wednesday night’s local Cup final.

The first four placings from this race will go through to the state final, against the top four from the Townsville series, at Albion Park on Thursday night, January 30.

“That would be fantastic and a fitting ending to her career if she could go all the way,” says Boody.

“But I am only setting myself up to look the fool if I predicted that would happen.

“Yes, a flashback to the dog she was would be great, but fairytales like that seldom happen in life.”

What More Peaches was, was a speed machine, a real country champion.

She started her career with a ‘bang’, winning her first eight races.

Her first loss was finishing unplaced in the Group 3 Rockhampton Cup in April, 2023.

 Still a ‘pup’, but with more vital race experience, she won the Townsville Cup four months later.

But for Rockhampton-based Mick, and wife Amber, what was hoped to be a truly stellar career never eventuated as injuries took their toll.

Now, in the twilight of her career, Mick has his regrets around ‘our baby’.

“Hindsight is a wonderful thing. We can all be geniuses with hindsight,” he says.

“Looking back, I would do things differently with her (More Peaches).

“But you try to do the best at the time and if you do make a mistake, you hope to learn from that mistake.

“She is our baby. Amber’s and mine. It would have been great to see her go to another level, but we got what we got and we are happy with that.

“Greyhound racing is a great sport, but it can be tough.”

Boody said he was close to retiring More Peaches recently, but then decided on one more campaign.

“She is still keen and then she came out and won the heat last week,” he said.

“Wednesday night’s local final is a good field, but on times, she is the only dog in the race that can match (favourite) Play Dirty (Dallas Beckett). But her best was a while ago and before injuries.

“Play Dirty (unbeaten in eight starts since coming north from Victoria) is the dog of the moment up here.

“He’s a very good dog and just keeps improving.

“The only way we could turn the tables would be if we were a fair bit better than last week and he (Play Dirty) was off his best.”

More Peaches (box 4), with 50 starts for 19 wins, 11 placings and $150,995 in prizemoney has a best of 29.65 over the Rockhampton 510m. But that was in September, 2023.

Play Dirty (box 8) set his PB of 29.69 last week.

The Boodys have had success in the State final of the Country Cup with More Peaches’ half sister Love You Peaches taking out the event in 2022.