Have Greyhounds Would Like To Travel
Recently retired Westbury owners Bill and Anne Witherden are hoping that in the not too distant future their greyhounds will fund the traditional “lap of honour” around Australia undertaken each year by many of their age group.
The former North West Coast farmers are currently enjoying great success with members of their Aston Galilee – Patsy Anne litter and if the trend continues, appear certain to eventually embark on the journey.
The couple became involved with the greyhound racing industry by purchasing Patsy Anne from prominent breeder Byron “Eddie” Edwards and placing her with Leith trainer Gary Johnson.
They enjoyed immediate success with the daughter of Where's Pedro, winning 13 of 44 lifetime outings while accumulating a purse of in excess of $25,000 and are now also enjoying similar success with her progeny.
“We won the Pinnacle, Charmer's Lodge Laurels and 2009 Oaks with Patsy Anne and had a great deal of fun with her,” Bill explained.
“It was then virtually a formality that we breed a litter from her and attempt to rear them ourselves.”
Patsy Anne's first litter by Path To Power encountered many problems, the two surviving members failing to make the grade, however four members of her second litter have already won races and are displaying plenty of potential.
“I bred Patsy Anne to Aston Galilee because I was particularly impressed with his bloodlines,” Bill explained.
“By Bombastic Shiraz and being closely related to Knocka Norris on his maternal line certainly caught my eye.”
Hindsight (4 wins), Yappin' Jack (4) and Battek Boss (1) have all greeted the judge from Mick Stringer's Mangalore kennel and veteran Bracknell trainer Maurie Strickland produced Teddy Tom Boy cherry ripe for a debut victory at Tuesday's NWGRC meeting at the Devonport Raceway.
Two other members of the litter in Oscar Ralph and Oliver Twist are both likely to open their winning account in the very near future.
Patsy Anne has recently produced another litter comprising 12 members by Lochinvar Marlow and they are currently in the care of the Witherden's at their Franklin Street property.
Naturally they are hopeful that these pups will also become successful chasers and contribute further to their travelling fund.
Meanwhile Brighton trainer Brendan Pursell's run of success continued at Tuesday's NWGRC meeting when he prepared another double.
Kula Girl made amends for recent placings with a strong victory in the Cripps Nubake Grade 5 (452 metres) and in doing so recorded her first win since being transferred to Tasmania in January.
The following race saw Gatty Com return to the winners list by taking out the Synectic Devonport Grade 3 (452 metres), his 12th victory on Tasmanian soil.