Peter Dooner, who trains Got To Casino, rated one of the hottest young prospects in NSW, has posted the "not for sale'' sign on their talented 28 month old youngster following super-impressive wins over 320m at Wagga and 390m last Thursday at Shepparton.
"We have had a lot of people, including a leading Sydney trainer, calling wanting to buy Got To Casino but he isn't for sale so I always shut them down before they get a chance to suggest a price,” Dooner said.
"Because of the coronavirus outbreak Got To Casino was late getting started on the racetrack so is still learning.
"Virus restrictions meant he could not get experience in fields until he had his first start at Wagga so he has done well.
"I'm 60 now and have been training off-and-on since I was teenager.
"While I have eight greyhounds in work and pups coming through, I also run my own ceramic tiles business.
"But I want to breed more dogs and am on the lookout for a well-bred potential brood bitch as I have two straws from Barcia Bale I am keen to use.
"I have always given my greyhounds a "Gotta'' prefix but when I discovered I was not permitted to register that because it is considered slang, I am now going for to "Got To'' tag.
"Got To Casino came originally from that Northern Rivers town so that's how he got his name.''
Got To Casino heads to Goulburn on Friday for a heat of the Ladbrokes Super Series.
MOST exciting litter to hit the tracks in recent weeks has been the December, 2018 whelping by former top class bitch Megalodon to Barcia Bale.
The Kristy Sultana-trained Flying Ricciardo has had six starts for four wins and two seconds, including a record breaking Bulli performance, Megla Magic has had a win and a second in two runs for Brian Barrington, while Eagle Rock, prepared by Megalodon's owner-trainer Lynne Aldous, scored his third win in five starts with an eye-catching effort at Wentworth Park on July 1.
Having his first city start, Eagle Rock was hampered by a wide runner in the charge to the first turn but bullocked his way through like an old hand to win easily in a handy 30.32s.
"I expected Eagle Rock to go well because in his first trial over 520m at Wenty he clocked 29.80s,'' Aldous said.
Now People Get Ready, another from Megalodon's first litter, has created a huge impression, winning on debut last Thursday at Shepparton for Victorian trainer Ned McDonald.
While they have been racing since the beginning of the year, Steve Fitch's litter by Barcia Bale, from Hill Top Belle, whelped in May, 2018, and Joe Satti's September, 2018 puppies by Barcia Bale from Utah Miss, are also sweeping all before them.
Fitch's Cumbria Ninno and Cumbria Belle have qualified for Saturday night's Group 1 Ladbrokes Peter Mosman Opal at Wentworth Park while their sibling and kennelmate Cumbria Lad is a reserve for the Vic Peters Classic, Saturday's other Group 1 final.
Satti has been enjoying a tremendous run with Utah Ghost (3 wins from 4 starts), Utah Express (3 from 5), Utah Blues (3 of 6), Utah Delta (2 from 5) and Utah Lass, a winner of one of three races.
KEL Greenough, the Victorian trainer of Houdini Boy, first reserve for Saturday night's Vic Peters Classic, has described as "highly honourable'' the phone call rival trainer Darryl Thomas made to advise him his dog had gained a start in the WP race.
"Darryl's dog Green Siren had qualified by finishing second in his heat but sustained a severe stopper tendon injury,'' Greenough said.
"Despite his concern over that Darryl took time out to phone me and give me the 'heads up' that Houdini Boy would now be a starter on Saturday.
"Most people would understandably be too busy worrying about their own greyhound so to notify me was a highly honourable thing to do, especially considering I have never even met Darryl.''
