IF there were any lingering doubts about whether superstar chaser Cumbria Jack could run out the 600m trip, he erased them in spectacular fashion in his heat of the Group 2 Cyndie’s Magic on Thursday night at Q2 Parklands.
The Fernando Bale x Cumbria Ninno star delivered one of the most dominant performances seen at the track this year, exploding from the boxes, taking control early and then putting the race to bed with a devastating display of sustained speed.
Starting an odds-on $1.30 favourite in the third of four heats, Cumbria Jack quickly found the front before producing a breathtaking mid-race burst that left his rivals struggling to keep up.
The Tony Brett-trained runner rocketed away, stretching his advantage with every stride before crossing the line a staggering 12 lengths clear of the field in a brilliant 34.20 seconds.
For Brett, the performance was another reminder of why Cumbria Jack is among the most gifted greyhounds he has ever been associated with.
“I shouldn’t be surprised with him anymore. He’s just a one-out dog,” Brett said.
“To see a dog like him chasing like that, that’s why I got into dog racing. I love watching good dogs race and he’s one of them.”
“Normally you’d like to give a dog another run over 500 before going to the 600.”
“We ask a lot of him, but he’s never let us down.
“Whenever we’ve set him a task, he just steps up.”
Just as importantly, Brett believes the champion genuinely loves competing.
“You can see how much he loves racing,” he said.
“Waiting behind the boxes his tail’s wagging. He just loves what he does. That makes me feel great.”
Brett said the trust placed in him to prepare and campaign a greyhound of Cumbria Jack’s calibre while in Queensland was something he never took for granted.
“To be given the chance to look after a dog like him is special,” he said.
“Sometimes I’m just in awe of what he can do.
“His only Group 1 so far has been at the Nationals and now he’s come back up here and produced a run like that.
“He’s just an unbelievable race dog.”
The victory improved his remarkable career record to 24 wins and eight placings from just 35 starts while pushing his prize money earnings beyond $380,000.
Already armed with the 520m track record of 28.99, his combination of early pace, race sense and finishing power makes him a formidable prospect as the Winter Carnival progresses.
The other heat winners were Zipping Lee, My Boy Bingo and Kingsbrae Brett.
With the heats complete, all eyes now turn to the final tonight.
