WHEN my father owned greyhounds many years ago we travelled around the country looking for a race we could win.
Trips to Orange, Lithgow and even Cootamundra were part of our weekend adventures.
Three years later we pulled down the backyard kennel and accepted that it just wasn’t to be.
How we would have wished instead of the slow dogs we owned we had the Ipswich champion by the name of Spring Rock out the back.
Last Thursday night the four year old flyer won the feature 2022 Ipswich Sprint Final taking her earnings to more than $90,000.
In winning the race he increased his wins at the track to a record 37.
The previous most successful dog at the track was Little Ach Chee who claimed 35 victories.
Trainer Pauline Byers had set her champion for the Sprint Final in both 2020 and 21 and both times he finished second.
Her son Shane said this was the one they wanted and he was thrilled it was third time lucky.
After the race Pauline said Spring Rock will have just a few more starts before being retired to stud.
The dog may appreciate that after 106 races at the track which besides the wins also netted 22 seconds and 16 thirds.
The big race of the night the Ipswich Cup offered $150,000 and it was taken out by the Brisbane trained sprinter Haras Herbie in close to track record time.
It was young trainer Jemma Daley’s biggest win of her growing greyhound racing career.
Daley a former jockey and trackwork rider worked with prominent trainers such as John Hawkes, Pat Duff and Tony Gollan, before switching to a fulltime career as a greyhound trainer over the past three years.
