Generally most greyhounds have plenty of race starts by 2 years of age, but recently at Gawler, there have been a couple of winners that defy that scenario. On Tuesday another runner showed that starting out late is no barrier to winning.
It was a closely contested start In the Maiden event over the 400m trip, but shortly after, Should Be Wise was able to hit the lead from box 4. Stick Shifter (5) ran into second place, with Blaxland (2) on its inside, however both runners were back some three lengths off the pace. Blaxland ran on well to close the gap but Should Be Wise had too much in hand and went on to win by two lengths in a good time of 22.98 secs. The placegetters finished well in front of the field, with Blaxland finishing in second spot for Ray Murray of Lewiston, and Stick Shifter was third for Tony Rasmussen of Murray Bridge.
Should Be Wise is trained by Vadim Roz at Victor Harbor for the NSW owners Tony Wiseman and J.Kada. Vadim Roz explained that he had previously trained a couple of runners from Tony Wiseman, with some success. The fawn dog arrived in SA in September last year, but from then on, Vadim Roz described the greyhound as having nothing but bad luck. Firstly there was an injury problem with a wrist, followed by a shoulder injury while back again and trialling, and then a serious grass seed issue which required surgery.
As the months rolled on, Vadim Roz was questioning his decision to take the dog on, but he had faith and didn’t want to give up. The final hold up came when he was waiting to receive the naming papers back, but Should Be Wise finally made it to the track at 2 years and 9 months of age. Given all that, plus the poor box draw and the ability of the opposition, Vadim Roz was not that confident of a first up win, but he was relieved after the win. Vadim Roz is still enjoying the greyhound scene, even though there is no guaranteed income, and likes to work with a small team of up to 8 greyhounds. Should Be Wise has vindicated Vadim Roz’s persistence and the greyhound showed enough first up to show that the wait was worth it.
With the weather now starting to cool down, it is an ideal time to come to the Gawler track, where racing is conducted every Tuesday afternoon and Sunday twilight. So, if you want to see good racing while enjoying a meal, then join us at the track.
Vadim Roz and Should Be Wise
Photos courtesy of Arclight Photography