Future is bright

Press, 30 August 1984, Page 28

Future is bright

By

TREVOR WILKES

The Christchurch Greyhound Racing Club has had a successful 1983-84 season, and with radio broadcast likely this season, it should further improve its position. Most clubs are now aware that radio broadcasts are necessary to maintain public interest. Radio Pacific, in Auckland, can be picked up as far away as Invercargill, which must create great interest. This, combined with good coverage now being received from various racing publications, makes it likely that T.A.B. turnovers will increase.

Looking back on the local scene, Ray Adcock has topped the trainers’ list for the third successive season. Silent Wonder (52 wins) was easily the top sire, while Zanduke (14 wins) was the leading dam.

Highlights of the season included Supreme Domino’s fine finish to win the rich New Zealand Championship in November. In doing so, Supreme Domino registered his tenth win in a row.

Wee Donna Dandy’s amazing finish to win the Ladies’ Bracelet in March will also be long remembered. Still giving the leaders a good start turning for home, Wee Donna Dandy unleashed a brilliant finish to win the race by two lengths and a half going away. Smooth Majestic’s Harding Cup success must rate as the spring performance of the season.

A brilliant box dog, Smooth Majestic quickly established a winning break, and ran his rivals off their feet to win the big sprint in fast time. Patrons had to wait until very late in the season,

however, to witness one of the greatest finishes seen on the track for quite a while. The event was the South Island Championship, and many will long remember the night of June 29, when Supreme Domino and Spanish Bijou fought out a titanic struggle right to the post. A close photo was called for, but the print showed that the hot favourite, Spanish Bijou, had carried his supporters home by the narrowest possible margin. Earlier in the night, a youngster by the name of Gallant Man almost wrote himself into the record book with a 17 length win in a sizzling 33.67 s (for 560 m). Many believe he need only carry on the way he finished off for Canterbury to have another champion. His progress this coming season will no doubt be watched with interest.