Simply Limelight wins 2023 Group 1 Golden Easter Egg for husband and wife team
There's a reason fairy tales are the things of children, media and marketing departments.
In the real world they are best left for Little Golden Books and the overly emotional hyperbole that accompany press releases and social media clickbait.
In greyhound racing, bookmaking and punting, fairy tales don't count and dreams are never priced in.
There is little room for sentimentality and emotion in the cold hard light of greyhounds odds.
And so too was the case on Easter Saturday at Wentworth Park, where almost half the Group 1 Golden Easter Egg finalists had climbed their mountain just to reach the race.
Belmont Bullet was sent out a +6000 chance, while Elle Yeah was priced at +5000, and the talented but ageing Ritza Donna was quoted +8000 with greyhound bookmakers.
Even the Kerry Drynan-trained Reflections, who does have prior Group 1 racing credentials, was priced at +1700 after she had been lucky to just make the final, sneaking in after gaining a run as a second reserve in the upset round of 2023 Golden Easter Egg semi finals the week before.
To put that in perspective, 50% of the $300,000 to-the-winner Group 1 race final were given just a 10% chance in greyhound betting of taking out the GBOTA's feature Wentworth Park race.
The greyhound betting odds were telling us that out of every 100 runnings of the final, one of the other four greyhounds, Baby Jaycee, Custard Monelli, Simply Limelight or Elite Alex; would win the race on 90 occasions.
In the real world there is no replacement for hardwork, dedication, talent, focus, determination, and a small margin of good fortune.
In greyhound racing, a factor which doesn't play a role as much as it used too, but on occasion we're reminded of its importance, is that of track education, or more specifically the advantage some greyhounds possess where they either naturally adapt, or learn with racing; to become track specialists.
This year's winner had that last factor in spades.
And so it was that an affable husband and wife team from Freemans Reach teamed with a greyhound who had undeniably ‘earned his stripes' at Wentworth Park to win a Group 1 race that was 57 years in the making.
Simply Limelight, who has had all but five of his 44 race starts at Wentworth Park, reached the pinnacle of his career winning the 2023 Group 1 Golden Easter Egg for connections.
2023 Group 1 Golden Easter Egg Final – Simply Limelight (29.48) T: Peter Rodgers
Officially Simply Limelight is owned by Pat Breen and trained by Peter Rodgers, but they are both very much a husband and wife team who are deeply involved in all the toil associated with the day-to-day breeding, rearing and training of greyhounds.
Speaking immediately after the race Pat Breen was emphatic what the win meant to them and the son of Kinloch Brae and Guilding Light, “We didn't dream this day would ever come'” she said.
“He's such a mighty dog and so very special to us. In the Group 1 National Sprint he finished second with a broken toe so he's a tough bugger.
“This is such a special race and for him to perform like he did is just amazing.
“A moment we'll cherish forever.”
Simply Limelight made the final of the 2022 Group 3 Magic Maiden series at Wentworth Park and had been placed in the 2022 Group 3 Bob Payne Sprint and the 2022 Group 1 National Sprint Championship when he broke two toes in the run.
Simply Limelight has now had 44 starts for 17 wins and 15 placings and earned connections $440,745 in prizemoney.
All of those 17 wins have been at ‘Wenty'.
67 year-old trainer Peter Rodgers put the win in to perspective saying this was far from an overnight success.
“I led my first greyhound out when I was just 10 years old and I'm now 67, so 57 years of hard grind to get here.
“We've always had nice dogs, and always enjoyed the sport, but it just doesn't come overnight – it just doesn't”.
Rodgers was keen to emphasise that the hard work won't stop now they've won their first Group 1.
“We'll be mowing lawns, whipper snipping and picking up dog pooh for 35 dogs tomorrow just like every other day”.
But acknowledged that no real successes in life or greyhound racing occur by chance, or by the actions of just one person, paying tribute to the role his wife Pat has played in their success.
“This win just means so much for Pat, she puts so much in to the dogs.
“She wouldn't care if the dog ran 100 yards last, or won; and that's such a great thing because she has such a rapport with the dogs.
“And she just loves the animals.
“It has been a great journey all the way along”.
But you can't win Group 1 races without the right greyhound and Rodgers paid tribute to track specialist Simply Limelight.
“He's been an absolute warrior here at Wentworth Park for over 12 months.
“The race was over at the winning post the first time when he slotted in behind the leaders.
“When you come up against Simply Limelight out here on his own ‘dunghill', be careful.
“He'll get you”.
2023 Golden Easter Egg
2023 Golden Easter Egg ResultsWentworth Park520mGroup 1$300,000 to-the-winnerSaturday April 8 2023Race 89:40pm (AEST)
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| 1st |
3 Simply Limelight
T: Peter Rodgers 29.48 +200 $300,000
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| 2nd |
1 Baby Jaycee
T: Bobby Douglas 29.61 +130 $66,000
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| 3rd |
2 Custard Monelli
T: David Hobby 29.80 +500 $36,000
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| 4th |
4 Reflections
T: Kerry Drynan 29.83 +1700 $1,100
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| 5th |
5 Elle Yeah
T: Allan Manwaring 29.88 +5000 $1,100
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| 6th |
8 Elite Alex
T: Mark Delbridge 30.03 +400 $1,100
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| 7th |
7 Belmont Bullet
T: Joe McFadyen 30.26 +6000 $1,100
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| 8th |
6 Ritza Donna
T: Mark Davidson 30.35 +8000 $1,100
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