El Grand Senor Named AGRA’s November 2010 Greyhound Of The Month
AGRA's Greyhound of the Month for November 2010 is current Victorian Sprint sensation El Grand Senor. After what had already been a super year including Group 1 wins in the Maturity and Top Gun, El Grand Senor added the Group 1 Melbourne Cup in superb fashion on the 18th of November at Sandown Park.
Backed into $1.70 favouritism to start as one of the shortest priced favourites in the race's 55 year history, El Grand Senor sent a shudder through the large crowd as he was beaten out of the boxes by Dee Winter and Dyna Obelia.
However the leviathan 39kg son of Where's Pedro showed a tremendous turn of foot, accelerating through a narrow gap to find the lead through the first turn and open up a race win-ning margin down the back straight. El Grand Senor then powered to the line in 29.55, defeating Symmetry by 6.25 lengths with Dee Winter a further two lengths away third.
The Cup heat win followed by his brilliant final victory made it eight wins in a row for the super sprinter. It is fair to say he has been a boom performer since he won his maiden at Horsham in a best of the night 23.12 in February. He then strung together seven wins from his first eight starts including a win at the Meadows in 29.99. Since then he has only been unplaced three times from 29 starts.
The super star will line up in the heats of the Group 2 Ballarat Cup this week and looks hard to beat from box eight on a track where he has recorded a fast winning time of 25.10 for the 450 metres. He could continue on his group winning way with more opportunities for success to come in the New Year.
El Grand Senor is a Black dog whelped April 2008 by Where's Pedro from Elgrando Gold (Elgrando x Sweet Liberty). He is raced trained and was bred by Carolyn Jones at Sale in Victoria. He has now won 23 races and been placed on three occasions from his 29 starts. He has an outstanding record at the Meadows over the 525 he has raced there on seven occasions for six wins and a second. His current stake earnings stand at $427,525. Moving him to the eighth highest stake earner in history.
The month of October contained a number of group races with El Grand Senor given the nod over Group 1 winner So Seductive. Plus Group 2 winners Up And Away, Octane Show and Flash Of Light for the monthly award.
AGRA congratulates owner-trainer-breeder Carolyn Jones and El Grand Senor on being awarded the AGRA Greyhound of the Month for November 2010.