Townsville-based trainer Heath Ardle is banking on the “fitness factor” to help his greyhound, Lucky Llama, improve his career prizemoney by securing a victory in the QGOLD Final at Rockhampton on Wednesday night.
The race, restricted to greyhounds bred in Queensland, offers a winner’s purse of just over $10,000, part of a total prize pool of $15,400 allocated by Racing Queensland.
Lucky Llama, who will start from box one, was narrowly defeated in his heat by longshot Early Supper, who surged in the final stretch after Lucky Llama had taken a commanding lead. Early Supper, a 101-1 outsider, capitalized on a late surge to score a major upset.
“He should be better for that run last week,” Ardle commented, optimistic about his dog’s prospects in the final.
Despite the setback, Ardle remains confident that Lucky Llama is on track for a strong performance. “He’s only been on the walker for the last month because it’s been too wet to run him. He needs to jump quickly from the five box in that field—that’s the key,” he said.
Ardle, who has seen significant success in QGOLD races in recent years, tends to avoid making bold predictions about his dog’s chances. “I just enjoy watching my dogs run, to be honest,” he added.
A Challenging Journey to Rockhampton
Ardle’s trip to Rockhampton last week was fraught with challenges, as he battled floodwaters in his region near Ayr. He enlisted the help of a neighbor with a low-end loader to navigate through the waterlogged roads. Despite the difficulties, Ardle successfully made the 700km journey with six dogs in tow.
“I’d say it’ll be a bit more pleasurable this time than the last trip,” Ardle remarked, laughing at the memory of his previous ordeal. “Once I got through Ayr, down through Proserpine and past the Airlie Beach airport, I was able to drive the ute with the dogs the rest of the way.”
Play Dirty’s Pursuit of 12th Consecutive Win
Another highlight of the Rockhampton meeting will be the appearance of in-form greyhound Play Dirty. The dog is chasing his 20th career victory and his 12th consecutive win, a remarkable streak that has included 10 victories at Rockhampton, with five over the 407-metre distance of Wednesday’s race.
Trained by Dallas Beckett and owned by Sonia Davis, Play Dirty has remained unbeaten since August last year, following a move to Beckett’s care after losing form under previous training. His best time over the 407 metres is 23.21 seconds, making him a formidable contender in the QGOLD Final.
Play Dirty will start from box eight in race seven and will be looking to continue his dominance in the sprint event.
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