IN THIS WEEK’S GREYHOUND RECORDER:
SEPTEMBER 4, 2008
KNOCKA NORRIS CONQUERS NATIONALS

Lottery winner Reg Kay reckoned he was still ‘blessed’ after Knocka Norris created greyhound racing history by following his illustrious sire Elite State to National Championship glory in the Rapidvite sponsored Group 1 final at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
“Back in 2001, I won a million dollar lottery with a good mate over a dog bet but before that I mostly had the backside out of my pants and had to sell many more good dogs than I kept,” Reg said with emotion.
Knocka Norris can now be regarded as one of the main drawcards in the sport after he silenced his critics in a memorable $50,000 to the winner final.
For the immensely popular veteran Queensland trainer ‘Knocka’s’ 2008 title was even more satisfying than when Elite State won the 2003 Sprint Championship at Adelaide’s Angle Park.
Knocka Norris (Elite State x Oriental Angel) has proved to be the closest version of sheer speed since the illustrious Brett Lee as he flew like a low surface missile to beat NSW comeback dog Mountain Of Love by seven and a half lengths, with Victorian based All Caution a further two and three quarter lengths away. The time was 29.83 with sections of 5.50 and 13.98.

MANTRA CAPS METEORIC RISE

Exciting Victorian Mantra Lad capped his meteoric rise to staying stardom with a memorable all-the-way win in the Group 1 Rapidvite National Distance Championship (720m) at Wentworth Park last Saturday night.
Jubilant trainer Graeme Jose invoked the spirit of the late, great Australian Football icon Ted Whitten as he celebrated his first Group 1 training success on one of the biggest nights on the Australian greyhound racing calendar.
The legendary Whitten became famous for his ‘we stuck it up em’ catch cry when his beloved Vics were successful in State Of Origin matches and Jose, who also boasts a strong football background, was playing up the interstate rivalry after Mantra Lad held off a late challenge from fellow Victorian Rebel Angel to claim the National Distance crown.
While Jose was eager to claim the Distance title for Victoria, NSW also has a strong claim on Mantra Lad, with the impressive young stayer owned by wonderfully successful owner/breeder Martin Hallinan.
Having just his seventeenth start, Mantra Lad, a son of 2005 National Sprint champion Pure Octane and Al Fresco, set the platform for victory with breathtaking record sections of 16.01 and 24.98, with his first split just .03 outside Ballerina Legend’s 280 metre track record.
The Miagi fairytale never looked like eventuating, with the home town hero finishing fifth and pulling up lame, with his immediate racing future again in doubt.

CHINATOWN CLAIMS WENTY RECORD

Superstar Tasmanian stayer Chinatown Lad gave trainer Shane Whitney sweet consolation for missing out on a berth in the National Distance Championship by smashing the Wentworth Park 720 metre record last Saturday night.
The dual Group 1 winner stunned the large crowd at Glebe with a sensational 41.93 gallop in the opening event, creating his own slice of history by becoming the first greyhound to break 42 seconds on the Wentworth Park loam.
The scorching all-the-way effort eclipsed Miagi’s previous 42.03 track record by one tenth of a second.
While thrilled with the record-breaking performance, Whitney was left pondering what might have been had Chinatown Lad qualified for the Group 1 National Distance Championship, won later in the night by Victorian Mantra Lad in 42.30.
The son of Lilli Pilli Lad and Chinatown Babe missed out on representing the Apple Isle in the National Distance decider after he was surprisingly beaten by his litter sister and kennel mate Fallen Zorro as the $1.30 favourite in the Tasmanian Distance Final at Launceston.
While Fallen Zorro finished an unlucky third in Saturday night’s National Distance Grand Final, Whitney was entitled to wonder ‘what if’ after Chinatown Lad broke the track record at his Wentworth Park debut.

IMMORTAL PAUA'S HALL HONOUR

Champion bitch Paua To Burn’s standing among the all-time greats of greyhound racing was confirmed last Friday night when she was deservedly inducted into the Australian Greyhound Racing Association Hall of Fame.
Steve White, who bred, owned and trained the wonderful daughter of Awesome Assassin and Alice Dooley, was extremely proud and emotional when Paua To Burn became just the eighteenth greyhound elevated to Hall of Fame status.
Paua To Burn is undoubtedly one of the greatest bitches the sport has seen, with the black and white superstar winning four times at Group 1 level, claiming the Golden Easter Egg, The Laurels and two Sapphire Crown Classics.
She ran track records at Wentworth Park, Sandown, The Meadows, Bulli and Nowra and retired with earnings of $434,705, third on the all-time Australian prizemoney list, with White describing Paua To Burn’s entry into the Hall of Fame as her crowning glory.
“Friday night was very emotional and I’m very proud of her,” White told The Recorder.
“I said in my speech on Friday night that it’s very hard for owners and trainers to win a race with a greyhound, it takes a lot of effort, so to win not one Group 1 but four is an amazing feat and shows you just what an athlete she was and then to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is like cream on top of cream."

DOWNLOADS

Recorder December 29 Form Downloads