November'07 - Greyhounds Queensland

MICHAEL Geraghty fondly remembersas a kid coming from Mt Gravatt to Capalabato watch greyhound racing.So it was fitting that the new chum intoserious greyhound training has had his firstbig success at that track when Corolla(Phoenix Ice*-Prize Princess) got up on theline to win the rich Michael Miller Memorial.In the process, Corolla became the firstbitch to win the race that attracts a qualityline-up every year.Geraghty was born and bred in MtGravatt, but spent 17 years in Perth and had acouple of dogs to keep him occupied whileover there.He’s been back in Queensland for someyears and decided to indulge his passion forgreyhounds by buying a dog pup from aPhoenix Ice*-Prize Princess litter then threemonths old.The dam is a litter sister to superstarsprinters Knockabout Wok and Puzzle Prize.“I bought them from Ian Kurkze and hehad bought out the sire and a couple of otherstud dogs from Ireland,” said Michael. “Iansent me a picture of my dog pup a couple ofdays later.”As it would happen, there was a blue bitchpup also in the photo. Michael liked the lookof her and bought her as well, paying $1600for each of them.The blue bitch would be Corolla, the dogwould race as Mickey D’Mel and win his onlystart before damaging a flexor tendon andhead for the GAP program.Michael is in the wholesale car businessand name that blue bitch after the mostreliable and honest car around, the Corolla.“But she’s been nothing but trouble,” hesaid.Initially Corolla was trained by CharlieMifsud but an internal infection she pickedup proved almost impossible to defeat. “Novet could find a cure for it,” said Michael.“We spent seven months trying to get her overit and it left her a very sour bitch.”By this time Michael had eight dogs. Anadvert in The Courier-Mail to lease all eightdogs went unanswered.“I decided then to do it myself and I’m soglad I did,” said Geraghty. “I’m the completebeginner but I’m learning fast.”That was evident when Corolla improvedlengths on her heat win to take the final in aflying 19.71.“It’s a huge thrill, fantastic,” said Michael.Geraghty had no doubts his bitch couldMichael Geraghtyand Corolla.Home away from homematch it with her rivals in the final. “She hasrun some very quick times up Nigel Rugg’sstraight at Churchable (where Geraghty lives)so I knew she had the ability to win,” he said.Future plans are for Corolla to be built upto 520m in the future. “We might go to theGold Coast over 457m and then see if shecan get 520m … eventually.”Miller Memorial (366m)Capalaba1 COROLLA 12-1(Phoenix Ice*-Prize Princess)Owner-trainer: Michael Geraghty2 WHO’S YA BEARING 4-1(Elite State-Who’s A Bearing)3 ARLEE 11-1(Brett Lee-Primrose Bride)Others: 4 Bosanova Blue 6-4, 5 SharkyShines 9-2, 6 Run Jake Run 4-1, 7 EmRodd 11-2, 8 Our State 5-1. Time: 19.71.Staplers JoLarkhill JoWestmead FlightPhoenix Ice*Slippy BlueLady NoirKnocknaboha NoirCOROLLALight Of FireSolve The PuzzleMagic RiddlePrize PrincessMalawi’s PrincePrincess RemaRema RoseRon's lateststar makes aSplashRON Brook took stock of the pups he hadon his Moorlands (Bundaberg) property anddecided some had to go.He decided the Typhoon Tide-Monegeetalitter, of which he had eight, were the likelycandidates. So he advertised them for sale at$600 in The Courier-Mail, got about a dozencalls and sold none.Eventually he moved most of them on,keeping three, a dog and two bitches.He sold the dog, which now races ashighly promising youngster Em Rodd, afterbreaking in, and the two bitches Ledaro Jetand Ledaro Splash stayed put.“Jet was five lengths better than the otherbitch when we first put them into work, butshe hurt herself and has taken a while to getback racing,” said Brook.So Ledaro Splash had the world ofexpectations put firmly on her shoulders andto say she has coped with it is anunderstatement.In her first eight starts, she won fiveincluding a Rockhampton Young Guns andfinished third in a Young Guns at Mackay.Brook bred the litter from prolific shortcourse winner Monegeeta who won races atAlbion Park, the Gold Coast, Beenleigh andCapalaba before heading to Warren Pirie forseven wins while racing at Mackay.“I actually picked her up from her trainerin Brisbane to take her north for Warren,” saidBrook.“When she finished racing Warren askedme if I wanted her to breed with so I jumpedat the chance.”Monegeeta traces directly to famousbroodbitches Morzee’s Me Mum andNational Queen.Warren recently got the bitch back withthe idea of breeding a litter out of her himself,but he has since had a rethink and she is nowback with Brook due on season soon andAUSTRALIAN WINNING LINESVolume 14 - 2005 $55 (inc postage & handling)Containing all the usual features of the greyhound year: City Winners; Sires, Dams& Maternal Grandsires of City Winners; Western Australia; Australian FeatureRace Winners; Sires, Dams, Maternal Grandsires and Pedigrees of Feature RaceWinners; Australian Track Records and Overseas Feature Winners.Cheques/Money Orders payable to:Peter Rose, PO Box 330, Jimboomba, Qld, 4280.Ph (07) 5548 6687The (November, 2007) Journal Page 31Ron Brookand LedaroSplash.likely to go to Typhoon Tide’s litter brotherReturn The King.Brook is building a reputation with his“Ledaro” dogs.“It is a jumble of five letters that are inmy name, Ronald, and my partner Darlene’snames,” said Ron. “We wanted a name thatwould be uniquely ours and this fits perfectly.”And it’s making something of a splasharound racing circles.Young Guns (510m)Rockhampton1 LEDARO SPLASH $2.10(Typhoon Tide-Monegeeta)Owner-trainer: Ron Brook2 HITECH O’FIVE $2.50(Hallucinate-Kalka Kate)3 DARK THRONE $2.70(Bombastic Shiraz-Berella Xanadu)Others: 4 Hitech Diamond $10, 5 CheekyAttitude $15, 6 Cawbourne Crash $7.50, 7Mystic Surf $6.50, 8 Ledaro Puddin’ $11.Time: 30.28.Gun Law OstiBrett LeeSobbing SalTyphoon TideBalligari*Cyclone KellyTop PriorityLEDARO SPLASHMalawi’s PrinceAwesome McLarenTrue TemptationMonegeetaCasual EncounterMondoe RiverMorzee’s Me MumMeat & Bones:Beef Mince, Roo Meat, Roo & Beef, Chicken Mince, Edge, Weaner, Breeder’sChoice, Chicken Necks, Roo Tail Bones, and Brisket Bones, plus more ...We stock these top quality dry foods:• ADVANCE Dog & Cat • BONNIE: Working Dog, Lite & Complete• Pro Plan • Whiskas • IAMS Dog & Cat • Pedigree Dry Foods• BOX 1 Biscuits & BOX 1 GOLD • Range of EUKANUBAWe also stock Royal Canin, Rex’s Kibble, Enduro Kibbles, 4 X 2 & 2 X 2 Biscuits, MAX Biscuits,Hammock Beds, Hessian & Shade Cloth Bed Covers, Leads, Collars, Snacks,FIDO’s Dog & Cat Shampoo, Worming Tablets, Tick Collars, Supplements and much more ...MEATph 4728 9981fax 4725 172040104 BRUCE HIGHWAY DEERAGUN