Dan Gibbons confident in Yahiro Bale in her Golden Ticket heat
With a loose muzzle dangling from her mouth and after a fall the previous week, Yahiro Bale showed her mental toughness to win her last start at Albion Park for Dan and Bec Gibbons.
Knowing she can overcome these hurdles has the Victorian conditioners confident their two-year-old will again rise to the occasion in her Group 3 Golden Ticket heat, also over 520m in Brisbane on Thursday night.
And that is without mentioning the fact the talented young bitch came back from fourth just before the turn to prevail in the Sennachie @Stud – Steve White race.
But she went on to salute in 30.32 seconds after her No.3 lane presented her with a good spot on the rail, which she took advantage of.
Dan Gibbons has been super impressed with Yahiro Bale's recent ability to perform while under adversity.
“Her run last week was really good. I was rapt with how she came back after her fall,” he told Australian Racing Greyhound when asked about his $3.40 winning chance across betting sites.
“No injuries (from the fall in her Bogie Leigh Futurity heat). I was more concerned about her head because she's only a little bitch.
“You always worry that it might affect them, but it didn't.”
Yahiro Bale's last-start win was made even more stunning because she saluted with her mouth wide open.
“She ran that race with the muzzle hanging around her neck and banging her (front legs),” Gibbons said.
“The muzzle fell off in the box. I'm amazed that she got around the whole track, let alone actually won.
“She is only little, but she's like a little bulldozer. She just tries to push her way through.
“Another bitch her size wouldn't usually try to squeeze through. She just does what she can to get to the front.”
Yahiro Bale might find it a little easier to get to the front in her $10,000 Golden Ticket Heat on Thursday night.
She will start from box one in just a four-dog field, with the two, four, six and eight lanes vacant.
Gibbons feels Yahiro Bale – with an impressive 11 wins from 24 starts – has the class to take advantage of the small field from the ideal starting spot.
And he is a big fan of four-dog races.
He believes they provide better-quality spectacles with less congestion, while adding the greyhounds are less likely to pick up injuries.
“It does suit the dogs a lot more. I'd actually like to see more four-dog races,” he said.
“I think a lot more people would be keen on them.
“Exactly, it would (be better from a welfare standpoint).”
Gibbons will have kennelmate Kelsey Bale lining up in the second Golden Ticket heat from box three on Thursday night, and with $3.90 winning odds with Ladbrokes.
The fellow two-year-old bitch finished last in her last start, the Bogie Leigh Futurity last Thursday night.
But the $2.10 favourite started from box eight and was pushed wide early, making it very difficult to come back from that.
“She pulled up fine after her run. She just got bumped out of it on the corner and never really got into the race after that,” Gibbons said.
“I expected that to happen from box eight, but you never know – anything can happen in a race.”
Apart from her last start, Kelsey Bale is in fine form.
She has won eight from her past 16 starts, including the Silver Bullet at The Meadows and Laurels Classic Final at Sandown.
Like Yahiro Bale, Gibbons believes his young gun already with 15 wins from 49 starts will put last week behind her with a good performance in the Queensland capital.
“I think she will bounce back. She's against some really good dogs as well, but I rate her really highly,” he said.
“And with the four-dog field and her run home, she might be pretty hard to beat.”
Gibbons added the next starter across – Shipwreck for Ned Snow – would again be competitive from the five box.
“Shipwreck is a really good dog, but he can miss the start as well,” he said.
“So a four-dog field is going to really suit him.”
Victorian conditioner Gibbons has missed being around his star young bitches, who are currently in the care of Brent Kline in the Sunshine State.
“I'm happy (with the way they're running). I'd be more happy if they were racing out of my kennel and I could keep an eye on them everyday,” he said.
“But Brent has them up there. He's doing a good job, but it's not the same when you're not around them all week.
“I only get to see them two days a week by flying up and back.
“It's a big effort to get them ready for these races not being around them the whole time.
“We can only do what we can do.”
Yahiro Bales Odd's In Race 5 At Albion Park
Race 5 – 
Yahiro Bale (1)
Form: 112101 | Career: 24: 11-5-2 | Trainer: Daniel Gibbons