Mighty Tempix stands alone as greatest Warragul Cup winner
On March 28, 1980, the greyhound still rated by many as the best to have ever set paw on the Warragul course annihilated his opponents in taking out the flagship race at the track.
The latest edition of the Warragul Cup is on Friday night over 460 metres. But 35 years ago, the race was conducted over the 424-metre trip and Tempix had confirmed his status as the greyhound to beat when he won his heat by 11 lengths from Polish Wonder, running 24.40, which was easily the best of the meeting and a mere 1/100th outside the track record he had set in February 1979. Despite drawing box six in his heat, Tempix had gone around at the incredibly short of odds of 1-16 ($1.06).
Tempix drew well in box two for the Warragul Cup final and punters had no hesitation in piling on the cash; the brindle dog, by Temlee out of Pixie Dianne, was sent out a 1-2 ($1.50) elect.
Having what would be his 10th, and as it happened his last, start at Warragul, the champion sprinter gave his supporters no cause for concern as he leapt beautifully from the boxes and simply cruised away to score by nine lengths from Peco Again, running a fast 24.49, easily the best of the meeting once more.
Tempix finished his Warragul career with a perfect score of 10 starts over 424 metres for 10 wins. The closest any greyhound had come to him in those 10 wins was one-and-three-quarter lengths. In four of his wins he had scored by 10 lengths or more.
Yet this Warragul Cup win was just one remarkable victory in what was an incredible sequence that is unlikely to be witnessed again.
Three major country cups, Geelong, Warragul and Horsham, were all due for decision in the space of just 20 days and Tempix was set for all three.
He contested a heat of the Geelong Cup over 457 metres on March 18 and won by three lengths in 26.51 (best), then, three days later he won his heat of the Warragul Cup.
On March 24, three days after his Warragul Cup heat, Tempix blitzed his rivals with a four-length victory in the Geelong Cup final, again in the best time of the meeting (26.40), and took his record at that course to three wins from three starts.
So, his Warragul Cup victory came just four days after his Geelong Cup success and was his fourth race in just 10 days.
Eight days later, Tempix won his heat of the Horsham Cup by 15 lengths, starting at a prohibitive 1-10 ($1.10) and running the 480 metres in a new track record time of 27.60. It was his first start at the course.
Then, just two days later, Tempix backed up to take out the final by five-and-a-half lengths, starting at the same price. It was also his seventh consecutive win.
Tempix would go on and take out the Warrnambool Cup a few races later before being injured in finishing third in the Ballarat Cup and being retired soon after.