Bargain boy Brodie bags 2016 Group 1 Gold Cup victory
AN eight hundred dollar purchase has turned out to be one of Australia's best staying prospects after My Boy Brodie claimed Thursday night's Group 1 Gold Cup (710m) at Albion Park.
Prepared in NSW by father and son training team Trevor and Jordan Rice, the son of Radley Bale and Giggling went into the final as a $6 chance following his 42.14 heat win the week prior.
Despite an ordinary beginning from box two, My Boy Brodie was able to work his way through a scrimmage on the first turn to sit in third spot with a lap to go.
The blue fawn dog started his run down the back, unleashing a powerful finishing burst on the home turn to charge through along the inside to score by half a length over race favourite, Cyndie's Magic (box six) in 42.17.
Co-trainer Jordan Rice said he was quietly confident going into the race, but was lost for words when his three year old star crossed the line in the top spot.
“I was speechless after the race – all the owners were there and I could hear them screaming from the grandstand when I was behind the boxes,” Rice told Australian Racing Greyhound.
“It was an unreal feeling.
“When he came up with the two box we thought he was a pretty good chance.
“I expected him to find a bit of trouble as he isn't very good early, but I knew if he could balance up in third or fourth with a lap to go then he would be a big chance because his best section is always his run home.
“As soon as he got in the clear I was pretty confident. I started getting excited when he went back past the 700m boxes in third spot.
“He got held up a bit on the turn before the home straight, but he is very strong and he has always had very good track sense – even over the 500 – he is the type of dog who will go under, around or through the middle – whatever way he thinks is the best way to get past them.
“It is the biggest race we have been in and it was great to pull it off as we had set him for it and I had driven up there three weeks in a row to trial him and get him there for the heats and the final.
“He is a nervy dog and he doesn't like people he doesn't know.
“Because of his temperament I decided not to fly him up as I thought he'd go to pieces so I left at 3am in the morning and drove up before the race.
“I took it nice and slow on the drive up and he handled it perfectly.”
The win made it 14 from 57 for the 33 kilogram stayer, which is currently racing in a rich vein of form, having won his last five starts over the staying trip.
Rice isn't 100 per cent sure as to what has contributed to his latest form turnaround, but said his hatrick of wins at Wentworth Park throughout May were enough to convince him to have a crack at the $110,000 series.
“He has always had ability, but I think he is just starting to mature,” Rice said.
“He is also very sound at the moment – last time we had him over the 700 he had a few little injury problems so we didn't see him at his best.
“Now he is starting to get some serious racing under his belt and he is just getting better and better.
“In the last six to eight weeks he has improved out of sight and he was starting to get out graded at Wentworth Park.
“We were going to have a go at the Sandown Cup but we thought this race might be a little bit easier.
“When you get a dog like him which is racing well we thought we may as well have a go.”
Rice said it was a massive achievement to win the race, with the 24-year-old training his team alongside his father, Trevor, and sister, Ashley.
“Dad used to train dogs but he got out of them about 15-20 years ago.
“When I turned 18 I loved going to the dogs so we bought one and now we have close to 60 on the property including 20 race dogs in work.
“It's a real family effort with dad and my little sister Ashley. She gets nervous boxing the dogs at the track so she spends her time at home – the dogs absolutely love her and she does a great job looking after them and playing with them.
“Dad mainly does a lot of the work at home with the dogs and I mainly do the stuff at the track like the trialling and the racing.
“With so many dogs at home we both can't go out at the same time – so we work it out together and decide where's the best place to go.”
Rice was also elated for My Boy Brodie's owners, headed by Shaun Dooley, who were trackside last night to witness the big victory.
“We have trained a few dogs for them now and they are a great bunch of people – there was about 15 of them at the track last night.
“It was good for them – they really love their dogs – and it was their first group 1 winner.
“Amazingly they only paid about $800 for him so he has been a really good buy.”
Now a winner of over $113,000, My Boy Brodie will be aimed at the Listed Superstayers at Albion Park on June 23 before preparing for the Group 1 National Distance Championship series.