Group 1 winner and million-dollar earner, Good Odds Cobber, is heading to stud.
The Frank and Tracey Hurst-owned star will stand at Awesome Lodge under Jason Thompson, with his immediate racing future also now in the hands of the elite Victorian mentor.
“We were just sitting back here giving him a few weeks off after his Brisbane campaign and looking at the Megastar and the Million Dollar Chase and we heard that Jason Thompson was enquiring about him as a stud dog,” Frank Hurst said about the decision.
“Jason’s got a big setup there now and he was looking for a Fernando Bale sire to add to his group of stud dogs, so he asked about him, we thought about it and we sent him down last Tuesday.”
Frank and Tracey Hurst after winning the Group 2 Bulli Gold Cup with Good Odds Cobber earlier this year
Good Odds Cobber, a 39-time winner with eight group race triumphs, drawing massive praise from the man many consider the best trainer in the country right now.
“Cobber earned a million dollars through sheer hard work, and he could be the best son of Fernando Bale we’ve seen,” Thompson offered.
“He didn’t win a million-dollar race or a half a million-dollar race, he’s done it through turning up to group races week after week and by competing…he’s a winner this dog.
“He’s had longevity, he hasn’t had an injury at all which is vitally important to a stud dog, he’s such a good chaser and he’s so well bred [Fernando Bale x Good Odds Meghan]. If you’re going to breed a litter, he ticks all the boxes and has all the ingredients you want in a greyhound.
“There will be a lot of Bernardo, Barcia Bale and Aussie Infrared bitches out there that I’m sure will be eager to go to Good Odds Cobber.”
The latest addition to Thompson’s impressive stud lineup gaining even more credibility when you consider he hasn’t typically branched outside his own racing ranks in efforts to secure the next super sire.
“We don’t take on any stud dogs just for the sake of having one. For a dog to come here at stud, I’ve got to like him and want to use him myself,” he added.
“I’ve got to like his performances, his willingness to chase and his toughness. Good Odds Cobber fits right in beside Bernardo, Explicit, Plaintiff and One Time Only and we feel like Tim Zoo is getting close to retirement as well so it’ll certainly be an imposing lineup soon.
“We’ve been offered a lot of potential stud dogs in our time and we’ve said no to a lot…so for us to take on a dog we didn’t train, it speaks volume for dog and Cobber was a no brainer when we found out he was available.”
As for the future racing prospects of Good Odds Cobber, Thompson hasn’t ruled out a return to NSW in the near future.
“He’s only been here a week but he’s already settled in like he’s been here all his life,” he said.
“We work all the stud dogs every day just like our race dogs and Frank sent him here in very good condition. The plans were the Dapto Megastar and the Million Dollar Chase and Frank said they were two races he was possibly going to have a go at, so we’ll take a look at that.
“In the meantime, he’ll remain in work, we’ll register him as a stud dog, his semen evaluation is all fine so when his DNA testing comes back, we’ll advertise him and then contemplate possibly racing him on.”
Good Odds Cobber has run in 15 Group race finals and the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase decider of 2024
The Hurst’s thankful for the journey their super sprinter has taken them on since debuting just over two years ago.
“Gee his runs everywhere have been sensational and it’s been a big thrill for us,” Hurst added.
“When he came back from Melbourne late last year, he had a bit of a virus but look at what he did to start 2025…he won a Group 1 and Group 2 in Brisbane and then won the Bulli and Temora Cups. We thought that was a great achievement for him, especially those victories on the one turn tracks against pure speed dogs…and he trounced them mate so that was a big thrill for us.”
“Theres not too many people who get two dogs in their lifetime that win over a million dollars mate and me and Tracey are pretty happy to have had Good Odds Harada and Good Odds Cobber.
“We trust Jason and Seona explicitly and we hope for the best stud career possible for ‘Cobber’ now. He’s got every chance of being a star at stud with them.”
The service fee for Good Odds Cobber will be $3300. Click here for more details.
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