Braddon Line Speeding To Success

Long-time greyhound trainers and breeders Paul and Pam Braddon feel the need, the need for speed.

That’s the motto of the Cowra-based couple as they begin another chasing chapter with the latest litter out of proven brood bitch Hope’s A Chance.

“The saying is ‘you breed for speed’ so I always try to go that way,” Paul Braddon said.

“I haven’t had a lot of good hard 500m dogs over the years so I guess I’m not breeding stronger types, but we’ve had a lot of speed and a bunch of good dogs over 400 to 450 metres,” Braddon added. 

Hope’s A Chance is part of a much longer line of chasers bred by the Braddons.

Her dam Willow Blaze, her granddam Leaumeah Girl and great granddam Mackie were all owned and trained by the pair.

Her first litter out of Aston Dee Bee producing the likes of Apollo Speed (22 wins), Digger’s Magic (21 wins), Clare A Chance (17 wins) and Special Star (13 wins). 

The litter of eight runners claiming 101 races from 270 career starts so far. 

Apollo Speed won the 2022 Goulburn Fireball and was also named Goulburn Greyhound Of The Year for Lisa and Dave Worthy, while Digger’s Magic and Clare A Chance dominated over the short courses at Dubbo and Bathurst for the duration of 2022 for the Braddons.

“I’ve had some good litters, but the Aston Dee Bee’s were probably the best sprinters we’ve ever had. When you have one or two good sprinters, you’re happy, but six of that litter made the grade pretty easy,” Braddon said.

“Hope’s A Chance has been great for us. I remember when she came on season, we already had a lot of pups about so didn’t have much room. We didn’t want to miss out on breeding her but so Dave [Worthy] suggested he and Lisa would whelp them and we could go halves in the litter, so that’s what we did,” he said.

The agreement setting up both camps for a stellar 2022 season, with the litter arguably the most successful to hit the track in NSW last year.

“We knew Hope’s A Chance was a litter sister to Marbo’s Magic who won the Maitland Gold Cup, so we thought she might throw some good ones,” Dave Worthy said. 

“So Paul paid for the service to Aston Dee Bee and I took her down to Sydney to get the process started. Lis and I whelped the pups and reared them until they got to about nine or 10-months-old, then Paul and Pam came up and we sorted out who got what. I don’t think we could have made a bad pick because they were all good,” Worthy added.

Now, Hope’s A Chance’s second litter by Pindari Express is starting to turn heads as well.

The quartet of progeny – Darius Express, Flying Express, Thomas Express and Shelly Speed - already claiming eight of their 14 career outings.

“I’m happy they’re going well. Flying [Express] has had a few injuries but broke her maiden at start two. Thomas [Espress] had a 400m at Dubbo last week and had to work too hard early, but he ran second and he’ll get stronger. Darius [Express] is going well and is ready to step up a bit in distance now, and Shelly [Speed] has won two from two for Dave and Lisa [Worthy],” Braddon said.

Team Worthy revelling in the fact they may have found an heir apparent to kennel star Apollo Speed.

“She [Shelly Speed] has just got the families box speed. She has that early acceleration just like the first litter and Trevor Black used to always say “you just can’t beat speed”. I know people will talk about the sires, but I just think Hope’s A Chance can throw dogs with real speed,” Worthy said.

Shelly Speed has had the two starts at Goulburn over the 350m, with the wins coming in times of 19.92 and 19.86.

The unbeaten start coming as a bit of a surprise to Worthy considering some of the quirky behaviour she produced early on.

“Paul said they were having a bit of trouble with her, she was just mucking around and she was driving him crazy so I said I’d give her a go and try and get her going,” Dave Worthy said.

“She was turning around and heading back early on, but with a lot of help from Darren Northey and Beth Cook down at Lithgow, we eventually made some progress. They helped us set up trials and drag lure runs for her, they just went out of their way to help and we just worked her until she got a bit of confidence,” he said. 

“Now I’d say she’s a bit further advanced than Apollo’s litter at this age. It took that lot four or five starts before they could run the times Shelly has already run and she looks like she has more improvement in her too,” he added. 

The line of chasers bringing immense satisfaction to the Worthy family in what has been a challenging 12-months.

“They’ve just been unbelievable. Apollo Speed, Special Star and Bridie’s Sugars brought us so much enjoyment in hard times last year and you just can’t put a value on that. The two rugs Lisa and Apollo got for the Fireball and the Goulburn Greyhound Of The Year sit on the lounge at home and no one can sit near them. When the grandkids come over, the rugs get put away so they can’t get there little paws all over them. It’s just been so great for us,” Worthy said.

And Hope’s A Chance isn’t finished either.

The daughter of El Grand Senor has another litter of 10 pups to Feral Franky on the ground now, with the Braddon’s holding onto what they hope will be their next wave of super sprinters.

“They’re about five-and-a-half months old and they look like nice pups too. We’ll hold on to them for now and see what they can do. Hopefully we can get another litter out of the mum in the near future as well because she’s been good to us so far,” Braddon said.

“A lot of our success has all come back to the mothers. A good brood bitch is worth their weight in gold. They’re hard to come across but if you find one, you’re laughing,” he added.