Kelsey Bale puts retirement talk on hold with Shepparton win
When Kelsey Bale lined up in a mixed-grade contest at Shepparton on Monday, it was her chance to show trainer Daniel Gibbons that she still had something in the tank.
“It's very touch and go at the moment with her,” Gibbons said.
“One race and one week at a time.
“Me and Brendan (Brendan Wheeler, her owner) have already had the retirement chat and it is coming.
“We are basing it purely off her health and fitness along with how she is performing.”
She went into the 450m contest paying $3 with top online greyhound bookmakers and clashed with some handy rising talent.
Out of box four, she jumped well to hit the lead in the first section before being passed by the Jihad Talgi-trained Schillaci ($2.80).
Kelsey Bale took the lead back in the straight and ran on to win by two-and-three-quarter lengths in front of Mackenna ($2) and Schillaci.
It was the first look for Kelsey Bale at the 450m trip at Shepparton, with her last start being at the Healesville 350m journey, where she finished sixth in a seven-dog field.
“Last week after that run at Healesville, Bec and I said maybe she has just had enough,” Gibbons said.
“She wasn't her normal happy self, but saying that though she had just come off a bit of an illness.
“But this week she has been up and about, so we just tried to target an easy race for her.
“Could not believe who she came up against in Mackenna and Schillaci, arguably two of the best young starters coming up at the moment.”
The win was Kelsey Bale's first since June 15 in the Listed Brisbane Cup Prelude Final at Albion Park.
“Today was basically sink or swim, and she swam with flying colours,” her trainer said.
“So, we will just keep racing her as long as I feel she is right.
“As soon as I believe she has had enough, or Brendan pulls the pin, then she will retire.”
Kelsey Bale is the reigning Country Cups queen, having taken out the Group 2 key races in the Ballarat Cup, Geelong Cup, and Warrnambool Cup this year in the space of a month.
She backed up on May 5 in the Group 1 Sapphire Crown, running third behind Baby Jaycee and Magic Muffin.
Kelsey Bale then ventured north to take on the Queensland Winter Greyhound Racing Carnival, where she won the Brisbane Cup Prelude in front of Bear's Bullet.
The Feral Franky x Ethla Allen chaser has 24 wins and 29 placings from 74 career starts, with $463,125 in prize money won.
Although her stellar racing career may soon come to an end, her trainer could not be prouder of all she has accomplished.
“Regardless of what her racing future is, she has done more then we could ever imagine,” Gibbons said.
“I'm more than happy to just let her come inside and live the rest of her life on our bed.”