The $25,000 to the winner fifth grade series the Ausure Ultra Sense, which gets under way with heats at Wentworth Park on April 6, looks the perfect race for Sutton Blend following her spectacular first city win last Thursday night.
Sutton Blend began fast and after being headed off momentarily by the speedy Miss Rosalea, regained the lead on the back straight and careered away to score by seven lengths in a slick 29.78.
Sutton Blend had plenty of bad luck when placed in five of her six previous Wentworth Park outings and trainer and part-owner Justin Thorpe admitted he was wondering if she was ever going to break through.
But she did that emphatically on Thursday, with her outstanding run home time of 11.66 suggesting she will be at home over distances longer than 520m.
Sutton Blend could well be known as "the tradies' greyhound" as Thorpe is one of four local tradesmen part-owners, all based at Sutton, in the Yass Valley on the outskirts of Canberra.
Sutton Blend
"Her other owners include another plumber, a mechanic and an electrician,'' Thorpe said.
"My dad John, an experienced greyhound trainer, advises me while my son Jake works out her racing programme and it will be up to him if she tackles the Ultra Sense.
"Sutton Blend, and Sutton Sparky, who finished second at Goulburn last Friday, were among three puppies we had purchased from Mark Wilcox, who won 31 races with their mother Cosmic Blend.''
Justin Thorpe was not the only enthusiast to land his first city winner last Thursday, with several owners from Taree and Melbourne scoring their initial success in town when $41 outsider Flying Goddess scored an upset all-the-way win.
Flying Goddess, who staged a running battle from box rise with hot favourite Zipping Evania, "kicked" near the finish to win by a neck in 30.15.
Steve Campbell, one of Flying Goddess' many part-owners, explained: "I work as a security wardsman at Taree's Manning Base Hospital and among my colleagues is Ian Rose, who has been successfully breeding, owning and training greyhounds for many years.
"In June, 2022, Ian bred a litter by Sennachie from his good producer Flying Ella and I formed a syndicate to buy the puppy which races as Flying Goddess.
"When we went to inspect the litter, then four months old, my partner Teena selected Flying Goddess because she seemed to be the most friendly of the puppies.
"The other shareholders in the Flying Goddess syndicate are our children Mickyla, Jack and Tahlia, who are in their 20s, a work colleague of mine named Chris and his son, as well as my former school mates who live in Melbourne, Nathan Lincoln and Nathan Bevan, along with his wife Linda.''
Flying Goddess
Breeder Ian Rose educated Flying Goddess and said he got Steve Campbell involved from when the greyhound was being pre-trained.
"He was a bit wary at first but I talked him into helping me break her in because I believe it's better if a new owner becomes really part of the whole business, that way they get more out of the sport,'' Rose said.
"Flying Goddess has always had good early speed and wasn't entitled to be $41 on Thursday night, because she was runner-up in the Wauchope and Taree Cup finals so is no slouch.''
