Morton shines in Cannington trial, primed for The Sandgroper
Morton, the celebrated greyhound from Victoria, impressed everyone with his performance at Cannington, setting him up for a promising opportunity at The Sandgroper race on April 18.
Trained by Jason Sharp this talented son of Tommy Shelby showcased speed and consistency during the trial run, clocking a time of 29.77 seconds with early sectionals of 5.52 and 13.81.
Sharp was pleased with Mortons performance, noting his start and potential for improvement.
Despite being underprepared for the trial run, Morton's exceptional early sections indicate his readiness for The Sandgroper race.
With a track record of 14 wins in 23 races and recent victories in events like the Group 1 Gold Bullion and Group 2 Queensland Derby earlier this year, in Brisbane, Morton is definitely one to watch out for in the upcoming race.
However, his attempt to win the Australian Cup ended in disappointment, as he finished seventh in the race despite setting a time of 29.53, in the qualifying heat.
Sharp explained, “His performance in the final didn't truly showcase his potential.
He sustained some bruising on his hock during that race, so we decided to take an approach, allowing him to recover and addressing some issues.
The break from racing has been really beneficial for him after a campaign.
Our main focus now is to get him in shape for The Sandgroper.”
Representing TabTouch in the anticipated $300,000 to the winner event, Morton currently shares the second favourite spot with Big Energy, both priced at $4.00 with the leading greyhound betting sites.
The favourite for the race is Explicit at $2.50.
“The competition for The Sandgroper looks intense,” Sharp noted.
“The box draw will be crucial due to the amount of speed among the competitors.
We're carefully planning Morton's strategy leading up, to the race.
I'm considering giving him one start before the big event.
While Morton gets ready for The Sandgroper, everyone in the greyhound racing world is excited for his comeback on the track.