APSLEY-OWNED greyhound Cryer’s Plugger will make his distance debut in Victoria tonight when he lines up from box eight in a grade five stayers event over 715 metres at Sandown Park.
Raced by Tara Raceway regular Margaret Cryer and formerly trained by her husband Tom, a decision was made to transfer Cryer’s Plugger to Buln Buln East trainer Steve White after the brindle dog impressed on debut over 732 metres at the local track last October.
The son of Spring Gun x Cryer’s Midget has now raced on five occasions since joining White’s kennels for two 525 metre seconds at Traralgon.
However, there are not too many soft touches at Sandown Park on a Thursday night and Cryer’s Plugger will run into a smart field headed by Fernando Bale youngster Rippin’ Sam, who has won his past three starts over the distance at Sandown Park and Bendigo.
Since the re-introduction of 732-metre racing at Tara Raceway at the end of August last year, the Cryers have done well with members of their two litters of the same breed – Cryer’s Jack also successful in 44.53 seconds on November 19 while younger full brother Cryer’s Bob won in 44.00 seconds last month.
Meanwhile, at last Sunday’s meeting the Cryers were under added pressure when members of their extended family – some at a greyhound meeting for the first time – were at Tara Raceway to see first-hand just how good these dogs they had been hearing so much about really were.
But by the time race 11, the 400-metre Produce Store Stake, came around the Cryer extended family must have been wondering what was going on.
After all, a couple of fifth placings and an eighth was not what they had been promised.
Box eight runner Cryer’s Sid, a litter brother to Cryer’s Plugger, was the last hope.
A winner of three races from 44 starts, he had not won since May last year, so the 85-year-old trainer was not expecting much as he wearily trod a path down to the kennel house for the final time on Sunday.
As it turned out, Cryer’s Sid was going to win a long way from home, ranging up to Allen Unther down the back straight before going away to a comfortable three-and-three-quarter length win in 23.68 seconds.
The excited family quickly joined Margaret Cryer and Cryer’s Sid – whose win was the 24th for the January 2015 litter – for a celebratory photograph.
So this is what winning is all about.
Not so for the camera-shy trainer though.
No, he beat a hasty retreat to the kennel house where he could only reflect on a day of ups and downs and be thankful that family members had been on course on Sunday to share in the thrill of
what has been the ride of a lifetime over the past three-and-a-half years for Tom and Margaret Cryer.
And now, if only Cryer’s Plugger can win tonight.
Ghost first to fly across finish line
MOUNT Gambier owners Noel and Heather Perry won the first race of the 2018 season when Mount Ghost led all the way to win the 400-metre Greg Martlew Maiden Stake at Tara Raceway last Sunday.
Coming into the race from box one on the back of three well-beaten unplaced runs over 512 metres, Mount Ghost went to the line strongly to defeat Luca Flyer and gave Cape Bridgewater trainer Scott Blacksell, who rarely misses a Tara Raceway meeting, his first winner since litter sisters Rusty Sprocket and Crikey Creeky in September and October last year.
The fawn son of high-profile sire Cosmic Rumble was purchased as a three-month-old pup by Noel Perry from his brother-in-law (Heather’s brother) Brian Treloar, well-known in greyhound circles as the breeder and owner of the Group 1-winning champion Spud Regis.
In fact, Mount Ghost’s dam is Sooky Suzie who was a handy bitch on the track, going around 35 times for eight wins and $20,000 in stakemoney.
By Bombastic Shiraz x Phiona, Sooky Suzie is a litter sister to Spud Regis ($461,000 in stakes) and a half-sister to Banger Harvey ($142,000), winner of the 2011 Mount Gambier Cup.
Phiona whelped only two litters of eight each, all 16 pups reaching the track and winning races.
Mount Ghost was reared locally, with the Perrys then having him educated in Victoria in the hope he would break-in of a sufficient standard to race in Melbourne.
“As it turned out, he was not rated as a Victorian city dog so we brought him home, with Scott taking over his training in November,” Noel Perry said.
“I’m not sure that we would have got any more of a thrill out of the win if it had been in the city.
“Anyway, it’s certainly full marks to Scott for his efforts in getting a win out of Mount Ghost.
“It really made for a great start to the year for us.”
