Piggy Back may take the bacon

The 2013-14 greyhound season was one of the more even, competitive seasons on the track for many years.

First up it was the Maramarua Forest, Steve Clark-trained Piggy Back who dominated the early-season group one features, by winning the Waterloo and Wanganui Cups.

Mid season, it was the turn of Thrilling Butcha to dominate, when Karen Walsh trained him to his stylish Auckland Cup and New Zealand Derby victories from her Tirau base.

Late season, it was Lochinvar Brando who shone when he delivered his strong Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Collar and New Zealand Stayers Cup wins for Huntly trainer Denis Schofield.

Those three greyhounds are expected to be strongly in the frame when the 2013-14 NZ Greyhound of the Year winner is announced in Christchurch on October 11.

There are a number of pointsbased awards, which have been decided. The John McInerney-prepared Sozin’s Comet is the Sprinter of the Year (up to 399m), with his biggest win coming at the Manukau Stadium, where he won the Railway Sprint at group two level. He won 28 of his 42 races during the term.

The Middle Distance (400m-599m) winner is Really Clever, who won 22 of his 37 races from the Lisa Ahern kennels. Arch Lawrence trained Little Teegan to the NZ Stayer of the Year title (600m plus) from his Cambridge base. Lochinvar Brando was the highest stake earner with $99,960, the result of 20 wins and 13 placings from his 46 raceday assignments.

On the human side, the Trainer’s Premiership was once again convincingly won by Cantabrian John McInerney, who produced 575 winners from his Homebush and Marton kennels.

The Trainers’ Strike Rate was more closely contested and saw Walsh come through over the later stages of the season to secure her title. Her terrific season saw her finishing on a UDR rating of 0.4774, the result of 106 wins and 131 minor placings from 347 starters.

The Dam of the Year award was won by Perfect Token for the Opawa Racing, Canterbury-based team. She left 92 winners from 19 individual hounds.

Once again it was the Australianbased sires who swept the Sire of the Year table, with 109 of Collision’s progeny winning races, combining to deliver 400 race victories.