Matthews Celebrates His First Win As A Trainer
After just 10 months in the game and only four race starts to his name, Navarre greyhound trainer Paul Matthews has landed his first race winner.
Bargain buy two year-old Sixer's Slip, owned and trained by Matthews, produced an impressive front-running display in a maiden heat (457 metres) at Geelong on Monday.
She was never headed from box seven and recorded the quickest time (26.45sec) of the four-heat series.
“This is my third dog, the first two were duds and didn't make the grade,” Matthews said.
“She has been struggling with a few injuries but I have been able to work her flat out for the first time and that makes a difference obviously.”
Sixer's Slip, a brindle and white bitch by Elite State out of Flossie Stuart, was purchased for just $400 from Charlton trainer Greg Guy. The speedy type quickly paid for herself with Monday's win and will be looking make it back-to-back victories when she contests the final at Geelong on Friday night*.
Matthews said he had been given a helping hand from newly established Crowlands trainer Chris Perry, who he says has `mentored him'.
“He has been helping me with her diet and getting her on the straight and narrow,” Matthews said.
“She has had a crook hip and I have been working on her with the pulse machine, it has been a lot of work.”
* Sixer's Slip finished seventh in Friday night's Whisky Assassin Final starting fourth in the betting at $6.70; after finding severe interference on the home turn.
Courtesy : The Stawell Times News