Eyes fixed on Cup
Trainer hopes run of good form brings victory
IT was a race Lara greyhound trainer Brooke Ennis won’t forget.
Judicial Man had forced his way into his first Group race — last year’s Geelong Gold Cup — having comfortably won his 460m heat in 25.64.
The race panned out perfectly: Judicial Man showcased his early speed to put a gap on favourite Shima Song and looked prime to take out his local cup before the Andrea Dailly-trained rival stormed home to produce a photo finish. Just 0.08 of a second split the pair, with the winner clocking 25.392.
“He got beaten, I think a nose, on the line for first,” Ennis recalled.
Twelve months later and Judicial Man has again put himself in contention. On Friday night he’ll jump from box 5 and meets another star opponent in the Seona Thompson-trained Bewildering.
“He’s got a good greyhound on his outside in Bewildering, who I don’t think he can beat, especially if Bewildering gets a good clean run at him from be- hind,” Ennis said. “But the thing for him is to begin and lead.
“If he can do that, then it would be up to the others to run him down. He needs to generally find the front early to win but as he’s got older he’s got stronger.
“The 460m tends to see him out so I guess the key to him would be to begin well again and produce another good first sectional.” Ennis, who co-trains with husband Jamie, said a Geelong Gold Cup win would be a career highlight for both the dog and his trainers.
“I don’t think we’ve won a local cup before,” she said.
“I worked at the track for about 11 years prior to being a dog trainer, so it would be a great achievement.
“It would probably be his best. He ran second in last year’s Geelong Gold Cup and last year’s Ballarat Cup, so he’s probably deserving of a win.
“With those types of dogs, you always try and aim for the country cups. He’s got the pace early and those distances are ideal to him. It’s always hard to make those races, so to be there again this year with the same dog is a great thrill.”