Paul Galea is taking star sprinter Handsome Rhino to Dapto for Thursday night’s Group 1 Megastar heats (520m), hoping for a much better result than his only previous interstate training expedition, more than a decade ago.
“I took Black Viking over to Western Australia for the Perth Cup heats (2011) but he got smashed and I picked him up in the middle of the track,” Galea recalled ruefully.
“He came home and won at The Meadows the next week but it was a long way to go to walk your dog back!”
Handsome Rhino, the fastest qualifier for the G1 Maturity in July, was an all-the-way 29.95sec winner at The Meadows last Saturday night, after running a close third to Aussie Secret in a G1 Melbourne Cup heat at his previous start.
The winner of 11 from 27, Handsome Rhino, a homebred son of Aston Dee Bee and Got The Attitude, one of just three greyhounds Galea trains, will be striving to qualify for his second G1 event when he contests the first of four Megastar heats at Dapto on Thursday, race 5 at 8.34pm.
“If I took him to Sandown on Thursday night, I reckon the FFA is probably a harder race than Dapto, but travelling isn’t easy and I’m not sure how he’ll handle it.”
“I’m really looking forward to it,” said St Albans-based Galea.
“I’m a bit surprised I’m the only Victorian in the heats.
“You’ve got to chase these races. Dogs like Handsome Rhino don’t come along very often when you only breed a litter every one or two years.
“He’s going okay. He missed the start in his Melbourne Cup heat and getting beaten 3.4L is not a long way when you miss the start and get into trouble. If he jumped he would’ve given it a shake.”
Drawn in Box 6 in the Megastar opener, Handsome Rhino is TAB’s $5 second elect, with NSW star Zipping Krygios (Box 2), which ran fifth in the G1 Topgun last month, $2.10 favourite.
WATCH: Handsome Rhino (5) was an all-the-way 29.95sec winner at The Meadows last Saturday, earning a trip to NSW for Thursday night’s G1Dapto Megastar heats.
“If I took him to Sandown on Thursday night, I reckon the FFA is probably a harder race, but travelling isn’t easy and I’m not sure how he’ll handle it,” Galea offered.
“I think he’ll be okay but I just don’t know.
“I took him up to Wentworth Park earlier in the year to trial before the (G1) Vic Peters, which ended up being called off because of COVID, and he only went 30.10sec. But he watched four or five trials before his and just got too worked up.
“I think drawing Box 5 or 6 suits him. He doesn’t go left or right – he runs straight – but if he drew on the inside he would drift out.
“You’ve got to do everything right in these big races, so hopefully he’ll jump out.”
Handsome Rhino is priced at an appealing $16 in TAB’s ‘All in’ Megastar market, with another Topgun invitee in Bandit Ned $3.50 favourite.
Handsome Rhino changes to victory at The Meadows in July, one of his five wins at the venue.
