GREYHOUNDS
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday October 16, 2009
Wheelers on trackFor the Wheeler family, 2009 has brought remarkable results. Their "Bale" suffix has found great success from the time Emiline Bale graced the track in the late 1970s, but it was her daughter Winifred Bale €“ a five-time group race winner €“ and subsequently the deeds of her progeny which have made a remarkable impact over the past few seasons.Friday's group 2 Geelong Cup brings together an elite field, with fastest heat winner Gripen Bale the baby of the field. And he is a live chance to emulate the Wheeler-owned Cerin Bale (1998), Suellen Bale (2000) and 2006 winner Dyna Checa and snare the family their 11th group race for the calendar year.Amity Bale has been their star performer but Gripen Bale is something special. He, however, will need to bring his A-game to secure the $40,000-to-the-winner feature.He faces former WA sprinter Octane Show (box one) which is now with Darren McDonald, the speedy Go Go Allegro (two) and his kennel-mate Turanza Bale (five), while 2008 winner Birthday Boy is well placed in box eight.Gripen Bale overcame a slow start to win his semi-final on October 9 in a near-record 25.23 and boasts eight wins from just 11 starts."Kantarn Balewon us the 1999 Melbourne Cup, and this fellow [Gripen Bale] broke in more than eight lengths faster," owner Paul Wheeler said."In fact, Kantarn Bale held the breaking-in record at our property at The Oaks for more than 10 years and this bloke made a joke of that time."While Gripen Bale's star is on the rise, Turanza Bale has already made his mark at the elite level."He won the South Australian Derby last year and was very unlucky in the Winter Carnival Cup at Albion Park a couple of months back ... he's been a terrific dog for us and I will bring him back home when he is finished racing and use him as a sire," Wheeler said. "A win for him in the Geelong Cup won't really help his stud career as he has probably done enough now ... but it won't hurt it."We got box one in the Sir John Dillon at Sandown on Thursday [with Amity Bale] and the rails at Angle Park with Dyna Forte [SA Derby] but it's been pretty lean pickings thereafter."As fast and talented as he is, Gripen Bale will need all the breaks to snare the Geelong Cup. At a strapping 39 kilos, he is one of the biggest dogs going around.Goodesy under cloudBoom youngster Goodesy tasted defeat for the first time at Wentworth Park on Saturday night and left the track with a gaping wound on his near foreleg. "He's not likely to race again this year," said Minnie Finn, whose husband John trains Goodesy. "The leg is still bandaged and we are re-dressing it all the time but we don't know whether there has been any ligament damage.."The injury cost Goodesy a start in Thursday's group 1 Vic Peters Classic heats €“ a series in which he would have been tough to beat. His absence leaves the door open for Reg Kay's Outa Credit to dominate.– Greyhound punters are also in the BIG6 jackpot mix this weekend, with a $12,948 jackpot on Saturday night's Wentworth Park meeting, with the pool set to pass $60,000.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
