RWWA Announces WA’s 2009 Greyhound Of The Year Finalists

Racing and Wagering Western Australia () is pleased to announce that the following three greyhounds (in alphabetical order) are the final contenders for the 2009 Greyhound of the Year (GOTY) Title – , Miss Slick and .

Joanne Monelli raced 31 times during 2009 for 10 wins and 11 placings for a total of $87,965 in stakes and a further $20,100 in WESTCHA$E breeder's bonuses. Her major claim to fame during the year was her qualification for two Finals – the Perth Cup in her home State at Cannington and the Golden Easter Egg at , where she was the fastest qualifier in best of night time.

Joanne Monelli competed in eight feature finals throughout 2009 and was successful in the Sandi's Me Mum Memorial in January. She is the youngest of the contenders, having only just turned two years of age at the beginning of the year. She commenced the year at Grade 5 level and competed at the highest grade from April onwards.

Her interstate success continued later in the year when she returned east for a fourth in a Classic heat and then again for placings in a prelude and heat of the . She displayed her versatility at the end of 2009 by making a successful step up to the 642m and 715m trips at Cannington.

Miss Slick raced 39 times for 10 wins and 11 placings for $216,550 in stakes, plus an additional $43,400 in WESTCHA$E bonuses. Her major success came in March 2009 when she ran home strongly to win WA's premier feature event, the Group 1 Perth Cup.

Miss Slick is the oldest of the contenders, starting the year a few days shy of three years of age and competed at the highest level early in the year, before she gradually dropped down the grades. She competed in 6 feature finals throughout the year, claiming the WA Bred Championship in August along with her Perth Cup victory.

Whilst she travelled interstate twice during the year, interstate fans never saw the best of MISS SLICK away from Cannington. A fair beginner and a strong railer, three of her wins rated in the 2009 Top 20 times at Cannington and she broke the 30.50 second benchmark for the 530 metre distance no less than 11 times during the year.

Red Shilling; only a month older than Joanne Monelli, raced the least of the three contenders during 2009 but returned the best strike rate. In contrast to the other contenders who were exceptional sprinters, Red Shilling excelled as a front-running stayer over the longer distances of 642m and 715m at Cannington.

She competed 25 times for 17 wins and 3 placings for $96,460 in stakes. She was victorious in the Paradise Street Trophy in July and the WA Distance Championship in late August before a powerful second in the Distance Championship at Cannington a week later after unexpectedly missing the start.

Red Shilling competed interstate on five occasions for two wins. She qualified fastest for the Chairman's Cup at Wentworth Park in September 2009, but then struggled with injury after that performance, however she did manage a consolation win in a graded race there a few weeks later before returning home. Four of her times over the 715m at Cannington rated in the 2009 Top 10 and her two 720m wins at Wentworth Park were in good times.

Acknowledgement must also be given to the three other contenders for GOTY contention during 2009 – Best Of Times, Silk Moon and Western Land.

All three final contenders will be acknowledged at a gala function at the Hyatt Regency Perth on Valentine's Day, Sunday 14 February 2010 at which the 2009 WA GOTY Award will be presented.

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