Category: Dogs

Highly underrated Victorian powerhouse Dundee Rebel played ‘renegade’ in the $215,625 Group 2 Sportsbet Flying Amy Classic final (520m) at Albion Park on Thursday night. Dundee Rebel produced a massive upset, saluting at $21 in the $150,000 to-the-winner event. Bred, owned and trained by 75-year-old Pakenham South stalwart Geoff Scott-Smith, Dundee Rebel was the much less fancied of the three ‘southerners’ in the race. Jason Thompson’s rising stars, Alpha Zulu ($3.20) and Umberto ($4.40), were also flying the Vic flag. But Dundee Rebel (Dec ’20 Feral Franky x Dundee Calypso) was…

Three-time track record holder Unleash Collinda continued his outstanding form by taking out the Sportsbet Pink Diamond Champion Sprinter heat (450m) at Shepparton in a smart time of 25.094 seconds. The inaugural winner of The Emerald (300m) was part of a Jason Thompson treble at the meeting. Minister Mentor dominated his rivals in the first heat of the Sportsbet Pink Diamond Rookie Distance (650m) and Got Attitude prevailed in the opening qualifier of the Sportsbet Pink Diamond Rookie Sprinter (450m). Group 3 winner Hector Fawley atoned for an unlucky effort…

The brave decision to turn down a $50,000-plus offer for unraced youngster Lethal Sniper went a long way to being vindicated when he set Warragul alight on debut in the Sportsbet Pink Diamond Maiden Sprinter heats (460m). Lethal Sniper, a superbly bred son of Hooked On Scotch and Gwydion, is bred and owned by Steve White, who trained Gwydion, a Group 1 Hume Cup finalist in 2019, and her three-time Group 1-winning litter brother Sennachie. Lethal Sniper is prepared by White’s son Mitch, 29, who enjoyed a dream start to…

Champion Pearcedale trainer Jason Thompson has a ‘sparkling’ Pink Diamond CV. Since its inception in 2021, Thompson has prepared three winners, three seconds and three thirds from 24 individual finals. And already there’s a feeling of déjà vu in this year’s $1.175m Listed Sportsbet Pink Diamond series – Australia’s richest regional greyhound series. Thompson has triple track record-holder Unleash Collinda (Box 4) in a Champion Sprinter heat (450m) at Shepparton on Thursday night. He also has Got Attitude (Box 2) in a Rookie Sprinter heat (450m) and Minister Mentor in a…

One of the most feted trainers in greyhound racing history, Jason Thompson continually soars into the sport’s stratosphere. And in Brisbane on Thursday night, he could once again be ‘Flying’ high! Thompson will launch a two-pronged challenge with rising stars Umberto (Box 1) and Alpha Zulu (Box 5) in the $215,625 Group 2 Sportsbet Flying Amy Classic (520m) – Race 8, 9.10pm – at Albion Park. Both were brilliant heat winners last week – Alpha Zulu (5.57/17.25/29.91sec) and Umberto (5.57/17.12/29.94sec). “Alpha Zulu is a very progressive dog. Every time he…

Two home-grown Melbourne Cup triumphs – My Redeemer (2018) and Koblenz (2021) – highlight champion Lara trainer David Geall’s phenomenal record as a breeder. That success has translated into the Sportsbet Pink Diamond during the first two series. Koblenz won the Rookie Sprinter Final in 2021, while the recently-retired Ferdinand Boy ran third in the inaugural Champion Short Course before claiming the Champion Sprinter title last year. “We’ve been fortunate to win a final with Koblenz the first year and then the big one with Ferdinand Boy last year,” Geall…

Rosedale husband-and-wife team Jeff and Sharon Chignell’s ‘Rose’ suffix is starting to bloom in the $1.175m Sportsbet Pink Diamond – Australia’s richest regional greyhound series. The Gippsland stalwarts have Jul ’21 Aston Dee Bee x Suzie Rose litter sisters Lottie Rose and Gypsy Lee Rose, and Granny Rose (Aug ’21 Bernardo x Macy Lee), in the Maiden Short Course semi-finals (400m) at Warragul on Friday night. Last Sunday, Lottie Rose and Gypsy Lee Rose both finished second and Granny Rose fourth in their respective heats. But the Chignells are not looking…