FLASH
Sunday, April 30th, 2006
First off we have some more good news with Flash. The coursing event that he participated in on Sunday was an absolute success. Our footy club champion has continued his unbeaten run in our colours in the coursing event in Melton.
The coursing which I have already told a few of you about is a match race between two dogs along a straight track of about 340m. Of which only the winner continues to the next round. Coursing consists of three different races, starting with the first heat, followed by the semi final, and then eventually ending with the final.
In the first heat Flash was up against a dog that was actually trained by the person who Jim (our trainer) actually trains with. So we were pretty confident. The bookie put up the odds of $1.5 for both dogs (which is the standard price meaning the dogs are evenly matched), so obviously it was thought that there wasn’t much between the dogs. In the race Flash started pretty slowly and there were some very worrying signs, however like the strong dog he is in the last 150m he really hit his straps and flew past the other dog to win by a very convincing 5 lengths. He ran a very respectable 19.15sec, which compared to the other dogs he was up against later in the day it put us in a great position.
In the Semi Final (which is ran roughly 60min after his previous race) Flash ran against a dog that ran 19.20 in its heat, so yet again we were quite confident going into the race. However the bookie wasn’t quite so confident, he put flash up at $2, meaning he thought we were the outsider. It wasn’t long till he reeled that price into $1.2, and later on was ruing the day he took on the might of the monash syndicate!!! However, back to the race. It was one of the most dominant races I have seen Flash display. He jumped magnificently and was 5 lengths in front by the 200m, this margin only increased further the race got, with eventually flash careering away to win by 10 lengths. The most encouraging thing wasn’t the margin but the time he ran, which was a slashing 18.89. However the race didn’t go without drama, somehow the catcher couldn’t catch flash quick enough and he started chasing the bunny back up the track. Lucky enough we caught him soon after, and no damage was done. I couldn’t say the same for the catcher who got one almighty spray, even Bourbs would have been proud of.
After only about 30min rest then it came time for the final, I think Flash was as toey as us, however like the true professional he is, it didn’t show. The bookie wasn’t taking any risks this time and Flash was posted as a $1.10 favorite. I wasn’t having any of that, and neither were any of the others. On the way to the start flash was as keen as ever, and didn’t show any signs of exhaustion from what is a pretty hard day on a dog, backing up for three 340m races. In the final Flash and the other dog jumped together, and the race was neck and neck for the first 150m, then the other dog seemed to have the better of flash as he kicked about 2 lengths clear, signs weren’t good and it was looking as though the tough schedule had taken its toll. However with about 80m to go I’m not sure if flash got his second wind or his will to win kicked in but he found another gear, leveling up with about 50m to go then finally breaking the heart of the other dog to score a 1.5 length win. It was an extremely gutsy win and showed the there is that something special in Flash that very few dogs have.
In true Flash form he pulled up as if he hadn’t gone around, and was only too happy to pose for the photo. Even better though is we picked up a nice trophy which has been sent to be engraved and another $280 to go into the kitty. So all in all a very successful day for the ever concurring Monash Gryphons Syndicate.
The plan now for Flash now is he will be entered into the Meadows next Saturday night, which will be a massive step up in class for the dog, so if he does manage to get a run, it will be more for experience than anything else. He will also be entered for Bendigo the following Thursday 18th, which he should definitely get a run in and finally will also be entered for Geelong which is Monday 22nd. So if our luck can continue we could be up for a very lucrative and exciting time over the next few weeks.
