Dancing Surf Wins 2009 Vic Peters Classic

With eight wins and 14 placings from 29 starts, Dancing Surf had already “banked” just on $24,000 for connections prior to Saturday night's Group One Vic Peters Classic Final at WentworthPark.

The speedy blue brindle son of Surf Lorian – trained by Frank and Tracey Hurst in greyhound racing heartland at Londonderry on Sydneys west fringe – snared the Classics $50,000 winners prize in a gritty display of speed.

In his semi final win last weekend, Dancing Surf, which is out of former top line sprinter Dancing Habit, posted smart sections in a comfortable 30.13 win.

That time was a career best yet, when it mattered most, he was again able to lead and held a gallant Pedrosa at bay to score by three quarters of a length in 30.25.

The quinella pair had the race to themselves from the first turn after rails runner Puddy Muddles made a terrible mess of the left hand exit at the end of the home straight and cannoned into Boston Blackie (box seven) which was attempting to find the rails.

The ensuing pile-up gave the leaders an edge and, from the 720m boxes, the contest was well and truly on.

With 200m to run, Pedrosa ($5.40) made steady ground on Dancing Surf ($5.70) but, as is his wont, he moved to the outside before the home turn to challenge and the lack of a finer manoeuvre cost him victory.

Puddy Muddles ($5.20) rallied strongly into third place and was only a little more than two lengths from the winner at the finish.

The winners time was very respectable without being brilliant. Much earlier in the night, moderate times were par-for-the-course but then stepped up to the plate.

A sprinter of immense talent, Take The Kitty secured a place in the Sky Racing at last Saturday night but bombed the start from box eight and finished only seventh to Cindeen Shelby in a fast 29.75.

Back on a more familiar track, the son of Big Daddy Cool shanghaied from box five and posted cracking sectionals (5.47 and 13.73) on the way to a 9 1/4 lengths win over the talented .

While Dancing Surf snared the big fish on a night when World Champion boxer Danny Green ventured to Wentworth Park, the exclamation point on the racing card was really made by Take The Kitty.

He's certainly got a big race in him and trainer surely must be eyeing another trip to Melbourne.

This time the destination should be Sandown with the country's richest race – the providing $175,000 to the winner on November 26 – the .

Group One wins are never gift wrapped … just ask Frank and Tracey Hurst, but the Victorians did not see the best of Take The Kitty at The Meadows and he's Group One material.

After the placed runners the field finished in the following order 4th Fancy Mandy ($3.10), 5th Tyler Bale ($21.50), 6th Boston Blackie ($11.10) 7th Rock Muncher ($8.70) and Freaky Lee ($20.20).

Dancing Surf has won eight of his 29 starts and has been placed on 14 occasions and with the $50,000 first prize for the Vic Peters Classic it took his current stake earnings to $73,890.

The Vic Peters Classic is the oldest feature event on the 's Calendar, this traditional classic, age restricted event (open to greyhounds whelped between July 1 and June 30) was first conducted in 1951 and known as the Annual Classic. It was re-named the Vic Peter's Memorial Classic in 1962 – in honour of and on the passing of Vic Peters, the first Secretary of the Association (1939 to 1961). The word memorial was dropped from the race's title in 2001.

The Classic has been won by the likes of Black Top, Shapely Escort, Sammie Sparrow, Woolley Wilson, Tegimi, Alpha Brava, Brother Fox, Worth Doing, Go Wild Teddy, Collision and 2006 Cromlah Bale.

Vic Peters Classic Honour Roll

    Harold Park 457m – Grass Track
  • 1951 SHARID 26.80
  • 1952 HAPPY KAY 27.10
  • 1953 COLA MINDA 26.80
  • 1954 DASHER'S BOW 27.00
  • 1955 KNIGHT RULER 27.20
  • 1956 SMOOTH EVENT 27.05
  • 1957 CANTEE 26.93
  • 1958 MONTANA JET 27.04
  • 1959 FESTIVAL TIME 26.91
  • 1960 PINE TOP 26.89
  • 1961 ROCK ET MAC 27.10
  • 1962 BLACK TOP 26.40
  • 1964 BONGEARON 26.80
  • 1965 DAILY TIDE 26.60
  • 1966 AFRICAN BALL ET 26.80
  • 1967 MR SPOT 26.60
  • 1968 SAMMIE SPARROW 26.80
  • 1969 MILLIMSIMBI 26.50
  • 1970 SHAPELY ESCORT 26.70
  • 1971 REAL WORDS (VIC) 26.40
  • 1972 WOOLLEY WILSON 26.70
  • 1973 KIM'S MONARO 26.31
  • 1974 CELL BLOCK 26.59
  • 1975 ALPHA BRAVA 26.22
  • 1976 BLACK DERBY 26.65
  • 1977 ROCKET MONARO 26.53
  • 1978 TEGIMI (VIC) 26.35
  • 1979 SCOTT OF MINMI 26.71
  • 1980 BAVARIAN AZTEC 26.43
  • 1981 GLEEFULLEE 26.44
  • 1982 KING SEAGULL 26.37
  • 1983 INCH TIME 26.27
  • 1984 BROTHER FOX 25.82
  • 1985 DAISY DOLL 26.42
  • 1986 SPANISH DANCE 26.54
  • Wentworth Park 520m – Grass Track

  • 1987 ALICE IRENE 30.61
  • 1988 WORTH DOING 29.74
  • 1989 ALYSSA BELLE 30.30
  • 1990 MCVELLA 30.65
  • 1991 ALASTIC REBEL 30.10
  • Wentworth Park 520m – Loam Track

  • 1992 SPARKLING SPIRIT 30.78
  • 1993 LEON MAL 30.55
  • 1994 BARNEY BLUE 30.96
  • 1995 PLACID BOY 30.55
  • 1996 TRICKY WIND 30.54
  • 1997 BOBNIAK 30.25
  • 1998 BIGBAD LUTHER 30.20
  • 1999 FLASH JOAN 30.43
  • 2000 GO WILD TEDDY 30.27
  • 2001 TOLL SECURITY 30.16
  • 2002 LONG STITCH 30.65
  • 2003 COLLISION 29.73
  • 2004 CHEEKY RENEGADE 30.46
  • 2005 WATCH THE WEB 30.12
  • 2006 CROMLAH BALE 30.14
  • 2007 ASHBY BALE 30.12
  • 2008 29.89
  • 2009 DANCING SURF 30.13
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