It’s been long awaited… Victorian greyhounds have once again caught the ‘travel bug’.
And the ‘wanderlust’ on this occasion involves Aston Ulysses and McCooly’s Lad which head to Brisbane for the Group 2 Golden Sands series (600m) at Albion Park on Thursday night.
Aston Ulysses is the $2.40 favourite from Box 3 in Heat 1 (Race 5 – 8.40pm), while McCooly’s Lad is the $2.00 favourite from Box 2 in Heat 3 (Race 7 – 9.25pm).
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Prepared at Parwan by Paul Abela, Aston Ulysses – once touted as a G1 Sandown Cup prospect – has lived, to some extent, in the shadow of his illustrious kennelmate Five Star.
A blueblood, Aston Ulysses (Nov ’18 Aston Dee Bee x Sweet It Is) – aka “Frankie” – has had 49 starts for 16 wins (with 13 seconds and 10 thirds) and stakes totalling $94,195.
He was a finalist in the G3 Wentworth Park Gold Cup (720m) and G3 Sir John Dillon Memorial (595m) and won the Bendigo Stayers Cup (660m). His dam, Sweet It Is – a former staying great – won four G1s.
Meanwhile, McCooly’s Lad – also regally bred – has made an amazing comeback after his promising career looked to be in tatters when he broke a hock in a trial.
Trained at Rowsley by Anthony Azzopardi, McCooly’s Lad (Feb ’19 Fernando Bale x Tatty Fields) has raced on 18 occasions for 10 wins (with three seconds and one third) and $49,800 in prizemoney.
Azzopardi has worked wonders with the gifted, albeit lightly raced, performer. He’s won five of his past nine since resuming from a nine-month hiatus in mid-August.
Aston Ulysses (1) registers a 34.29sec win over 600m at The Meadows on November 13.
McCooly’s Lad – which was third in the G3 Shootout (515m) – has clocked a sizzling 29.09sec, 29.11 sec and 29.14sec over 515m at Sandown Park.
And his most recent start resulted in an electrifying 33.82sec win over 595m, also at Sandown Park. His dam, Tatty Fields, is a half-sister of Nicki Fields which has produced superstars Hooked On Scotch, Poke The Bear and Out Of Range.
The $40,000 -to-the-winner G2 Golden Sands final is on January 6.
Pawnote: Ironically, Aston Ulysses finished second to McCooly’s Lad in a heat and final of a GRV Vic Bred Series (485m) at Horsham in late August.
‘Comeback kid’ McCooly’s Lad (3) clocks a flying 33.82sec over 595m at Sandown Park on December 9.
