Bessy Boo leaves as Wentworth Park’s brightest star
WITH his retirement at the end of last year, former Wentworth Park star Bessy Boo has undoubtedly set a record which will almost certainly never be equalled or surpassed at the Glebe circuit.
The son of Bekim Bale and My Black Bess recorded an incredible 34 victories at Wentworth Park for trainer Christine Proctor and this easily-eclipses any other competitor ever seen at the track in its 76-year history.
The two dogs that have come closest with 25 wins are Stately Bird and Turbo Top. Stately Bird achieved his wins exclusively over the 520 metres distance on the sand surface, while Turbo Top's victories were recorded on the ‘old' Wentworth Park grass surface over the 530 metres (22 wins) and 722 metres (three wins) distances.
Juts behind that pair, in equal third spot, are Slick Appeal and Did I Entertain, both with 24 wins at Wentworth Park. Slick Appeal scored 17 wins (from 59 outings) over 520 metres and seven wins (from 20 starts) over 720 metres to be arguably the most versatile of those who fill the ‘big' numbers at the track.
Flash Joan, Golden Milo and Classy Spider all won 22 races at Wentworth Park, with Flash Joan the only one of that three to race and win over 720 metres, scoring an impressive nine victories from just 13 outings at the half-mile trip.
Bessy Boo, not surprisingly, also set a record for the most number of starts overall at the track, as well as the most number of starts over 520 metres. He raced 125 times at Wentworth Park, of which 117 were over the sprint course.
The next highest is Magic Hand, who competed 89 times for 11 wins at Wentworth Park – all over the 520 metres trip. Did I Entertain and Queen Esther sit in joint-third spot, having each raced at headquarters 83 times during their careers. Did I Entertain was successful 24 times, Queen Esther scored 17 wins.
Magic Hand holds the record for the most number of second placings at Wentworth Park, having been runner-up 23 times. Bessy Boo was runner-up 21 times overall, while all-distance star Just Like Jack finished second 18 times, 14 of them over the sprint course.
As far as combined second and third placings at the track are concerned, Bessy Boo takes that record, with 43 ahead of Magic Hand's 32, Slick Appeal and Did I Entertain both with 27, Just Like Jack 26 and Orphan Point 25.
It's notable that Christine Proctor was also the trainer of former star sprinting bitch Lucy Lawless, which won 20 races from just 43 starts at Wentworth Park during her career, 16 of which were in the best time of the night.
In some ways, the numbers achieved by the likes of Bessy Boo, Did I Entertain, Magic Hand and Queen Esther are inflated simply because since 1987, Sydney has only had the one city track. Nonetheless, it does take a very hardy type of greyhound to rack up the kinds of numbers the these great greyhounds have achieved.