Craig Chappelow's family has been involved in NSW greyhound racing for an astonishing ten decades, so there could not be a more fitting winner of Saturday night's Group 3 Bob Payne Sprint final at Wentworth Park than his dog Overflow Beau.
The late Bob Payne retired in 1985 after giving decades of service to the NSW Greyhound Breeders, Owners & Trainers Association, as committeeman and chairman, while Craig Chappelow's grandfather Arthur Chappelow won 60 races in the 1930s at Harold Park and Mascot's Shepherd's Bush tracks with his champion bitch Merle Drew.
She was so superior to her contemporaries that she had to be handicapped, and in one memorable 439m (480 yards) race she finished second, beaten a length, after being forced to concede 34.5m (38 yards) start to the winner, who had come off the front mark.
And in the 1930s Arthur's father Dave Chappelow, Craig's great grandfather, operated what is believed to be Australia's first trial track, alongside what is now Sydney Airport.
There could hardly be a more deserving big race winner than Overflow Beau, who was a luckless third in the 2024 Bob Payne final.
After clocking fastest heat time, a blistering 29.35, Overflow Beau drew box two in the final but was checked at the first turn when Zipping Megatron, who came from box one, pushed up along the rails and bumped him sideways.
The Jason Magri-trained Zipping Megatron went on to win in race record time of 29.55, with Overflow Beau a gallant third, eight lengths from the winner.
Overflow Beau's run of wretched luck continued in September last year when he tore a back leg muscle on the eve of the Million Dollar Chase qualifying heats.
That setback that saw him sidelined for six months, when he resumed with a third, over a less than suitable 400m, at Bulli on March 4.
Overflow Beau's worst possible draw is box eight but he not only wore the pink rug in that Bulli sprint, but was forced to carry the same colours for his next five races, all at Wentworth Park.
He qualified for Saturday night's $25,000 to the winner Bob Payne final by overcoming the outside draw to win his heat by three lengths in 29.95 on a rain-soaked track.
Ayden's Warrior, who led from the first turn to win the subsequent heat in 29.79, went quicker, but Overflow Beau had lost ground and been badly hampered as he crossed to the rails, attempting to get around pacemaker Yogen Bale on the first corner.
Considering his 10 decades long family background in the sport, it is hardly surprising that in an old Sylvania High School year book for HSC students the inscription alongside Craig Chappelow's photo was his "ambition to be Sydney's leading greyhound trainer.''
Craig Chappelow and Overflow Beau at a wet Wentworth Park on Saturday night
Craig Chappelow and Overflow Beau's owner Ray Holt breathed sighs of relief when their dog missed out on getting box eight yet again in this week's final, and while box five is not ideal they are quietly confident of success.
"Overflow Beau has been beginning a lot better at his past few starts, so I think he has a great chance of winning the final,'' Craig Chappelow said.
