Good Odds Cobber continued his love affair with Albion Park on Thursday night with a thrilling victory in the Group 2 Golden Ticket final.
‘The Cob’ jumped brilliantly in his two-dog match race with Smooth Plane, forging across to find the front from Box 3 before kicking out to a three-length lead down the back.
His second section of 11.39 had race caller John Brasch audibly excited as they turned for home, with the NSW star fending off his classy Victorian rival to win in a hot time of 29.50.
“I thought it was an enormous effort. They’re still talking about the time he ran up the back today…he’s a champion…he’s our champion anyway,” an elated Frank Hurst said on Friday.
It was Good Odds Cobber’s fourth victory in eight attempts at Brisbane’s premier track, with the son of Fernando Bale x Good Odds Meghan also running second in the State Of Origin sprint and third in the Group 1 Brisbane Cup at the circuit.
The win also earning Good Odds Cobber a spot in the $250,000 Group 1 Gold Bullion Final on Thursday, January 30.
“He’s got two more weeks up there now and we’re so happy with him. Racing two-out is different to a full field or four dogs obviously but we thought he’d be hard to beat if he found the front,” Hurst added.
“He was very quick early last night (5.54 first section) and he used to run very fast first sections at Wenty Park…that’s dropped off as he’s got older but he’s just a winner this dog.”
“Dave [Irwin] is a great mate so he’s taking care of him up there and doing a fantastic job. His daughters Lisa and Shelley took ‘Cobber’ to the track and they put hours and hours into him, just like their own dogs, so it was great to see them win with him.”
Good Odds Cobber has now won eight of his last 12 starts which include four Group final appearances and a Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase decider
The reigning Dapto Megastar champion celebrating his recent third birthday (January 7) with his 31st race win, taking his career earnings to a shade over $480,000.
Hurst not looking too far past the Gold Bullion, but understandably excited to tackle some key feature races with his charge over the coming months.
“He was in the Bulli Cup final last year, the Richmond Derby is coming up…and we’ve never won a Golden Easter Egg so that’d be another race we’re looking towards,” Hurst said.
“Good Odds Cash ran second to She’s A Pearl (2022) and Fancy Mandy ran third (2010) as an odds-on favourite in Egg finals so we’d love to win it. From day one, Good Odds Cobber has been in every good race that’s on. He doesn’t hide from anyone and he takes on the good dogs all the time.”
“We don’t care if we get beaten, we want to give him an opportunity to show what he can do. I’m 78 now and we keep doing it because we love it…it keeps me going”
Frank and Tracey Hurst with Good Odds Cobber after claiming the 2024 Ladbrokes Dapto Megastar
Hurst quick to torpedo a potential stud career for his sprinting star.
“He’s a true race dog and that’s the way he’ll stay,” Hurst stated.
“We tried the stud scene when we retired Good Odds Harada but we were novices. Everyone wanted him to retire but we liked racing and didn’t want to do it.”
“We probably rushed into it and we were drawing him while racing him and it didn’t do him any good. People are ringing all the time about ‘Cobber’ but he’s not going to stud. I think it’s too political and the breeding’s dropped off anyway. I know no one wants to hear that but it’s a fact of life that times are tough.”
Good Odds Cobber’s win came a week after fellow NSW-trained greyhound, Nangar Gypsy, took out the Group 1 Golden Sands at the same circuit for Dennis Barnes.
