Peco Can up for Thousand
THE connections of Tasmania’s most promising greyhound, Peco Can, yesterday confirmed she will be aimed at the state’s richest race, the Group 1 Hobart Thousand in December.
Peco Can is unbeaten from five starts, of which four have been on the Hobart track.
The Robin Grubb-trained bitch started the $1.18 favourite when she blitzed a top field in the final of the Hobart club’s Breeders Classic (461m) just over two weeks ago
“I couldn’t be more pleased with how this pup has progressed and there has been a lot of talk about when she will head interstate but we are in no hurry to see that happen,” Grubb said.
“The Hobart Thousand is the race every Tasmanian owner, trainer and breeder wants to win and to get one that has the genuine potential to win that race is incredible.
“I know how easily the best-laid plans can go awry but if everything continues the way it has done with this pup then she will be aimed at the Thousand.”
Peco Can made her debut in a juvenile (grade 6) event in Devonport in late April and scored a runaway win by more than five lengths from box eight.
But it was at her second start that the pundits sat up and took notice.
She was backed in to start the $1.35 favourite and, from box two, she began brilliantly and went on to win by almost 14 lengths but it was her time that had the devotees of the industry talking.
Peco Can stopped the clock over the 461m trip at 25.55 seconds which was only three hundredths of a second outside of the track record (25.52) set by Above All in the 2014 Hobart Thousand final.
“She has incredible speed and she’s shown that from the outset so, when she ran that quick time at her first start in Hobart, we weren’t all that surprised.”
Peco Can is by Fernando Bale from the Grubb family’s former smart sprinter Sing the Song that broke the Devonport 452m track record that was set by champion Lilli Pilli Lad and that stood for close to 14 years.
The talented speedster has broken 26 seconds at each of her four starts in Hobart and that is almost unheard of for a 22-month-old pup.
Peco Can will line up in a grade-five event over 452m in Devonport today and, as has been the case at all of her starts, she will be at prohibitive odds.
“She goes back to Devonport for a grade five on Tuesday and, while she will probably start at a very short price again, she will still have to have some luck early to win from box five.
“We have to remember that she is only having her sixth start and box five can cause problems if they don’t begin well, which was the case in Hobart last start.
“Luckily, she had the inside box and she wasn’t too crowded after they jumped, which gave her room to muster speed and hold the rail.”
Grubb says Peco Can will race primarily in Hobart and Devonport in the coming months.
“I’ll keep her away from Launceston until she is more mature, so the next feature races we are looking at are the Young Star Classic in Hobart next month then the Devonport club’s Puppy Classic in October.”