Queen Lauryn Takes Step To Unique Sandown Double
In an amazing demonstration of grading or possibly the best example of greyhound trainers placing their charges to advantage, the Tony Brett trained Queen Lauryn tonight set spectacular figures for the Albion Park 600m, going within .5 length of the standing track record.
Racing against greyhound racing's equivalent of Snoopy, Frasier's “Eddie”, “Beethoven”, the Wizard Of Oz's “Toto” and Turner and Hooch's “Hooch”, the 2008 Group 1 Sapphire Crown winner practically solo trialled around the circuit in sectionals of 9.93, 11.82 and 12.85 to run 34.60 winning by 15.25 lengths; just .03 outside Oreo's 2004 Track Record of 35.57.
To say the one time Queen of Australian Greyhound Racing was drawn to win tonight would be understating it. In the small 5 dog field, Queen Lauryn, the winner of 18 races and over $120,000 in prizemoney, was drawn to compete against four other greyhounds which, all combined, had only won 9 races total.
The win would come as no surprise to those that have followed her career as she has always been a very strong greyhound who looked as though the 600m journey would suit perfectly and may even be able to run a strong 700m.
Queen Lauryn's win tonight took her record to 32 starts for 19 wins and 7 placings and is the first stepping stone on they way to proving herself as a bona fide stayer, with the Group 1 Sandown Cup in early May the intended target of her immediate pursuits.
Queen Lauryn's race career took a dramatic and very public turn for the worse after losing all form with the withdrawal of Anabolic Steroids from Australian greyhound racing late last year, and tonight's run is the first serious glimpse of form since that development.
Tonight's run is sure to have been a nice confidence boost for the the Hawkins family owned daughter of Token Prince ~ Cheeky Sprite and connections will be hoping “The Queen” can bring her 2008 Sapphire Crown form to the Sandown Cup and claim a unique double.