Hope

By Paul Pickering
THE Lad is back. Catani trainer Graeme Jose knew it within a fraction of a second, and it took his champion stayer, Mantra Lad, just 41.99 seconds to prove it to punters at Sandown Park last Thursday night (7 May).
The reigning National Distance champion made an emphatic return to form in his Sandown Cup heat, when he became just the fifth greyhound to break 42 seconds over 715m at the Lightwood Road circuit.
Mantra Lad ($1.70 favourite) burst out of box five to take the early lead and was never challenged, finishing some 11.75 lengths ahead of his nearest rival, Robert Britton’s Which Wabbit ($8.60).
The supreme run came as a relief to Jose, who had been unsure whether his star dog could overcome a recent anal infection in time for the big race.
“As soon as the lids opened I knew I was right,” Jose reflected on Mantra Lad’s blistering start.
“I wasn’t surprised that he won, but for him to get through (is the main thing), and he pulled up beautifully, so I’m over the moon.”
Jose had his suspicions that something was wrong when Mantra Lad ran second in his heat of the Group Three Lizrene Classic last month, and he had full blood work taken after a sluggish fourth-place finish – behind kennelmate Nathalie Rass – in the final.
A course of antibiotics did the trick, with Mantra Lad striding more freely in a freakishly quick 600m trial – 33.80 seconds – at Geelong two weekends ago.
And after Thursday night’s performance, Jose believes his dog is the one to beat in Thursday night’s Group One final.
“I believe that if he runs to his capability, he’ll win the race,” he said.
“He’s boxed very well (drawing number eight) and should get a really good run into the race.”
That said, Jose expects Mantra Lad to face some stiff competition for the $100,000 winner’s purse.
Among the worthy challengers will be Andrea Dailly’s Headley Bale, which negotiated some heavy traffic early in her heat to record her fourth-consecutive win in 42.17 seconds.
In-form Pearcedale trainer Jason Thompson will be well represented, with Next Top Model and Lady Moscato occupying boxes two and three for the final.
Fellow Pearcedale mentor Wayne Vassallo would have been buoyed by Sirocco Hero’s runaway win in his heat, while Devon Meadows master trainer Darren McDonald will prepare Vintage Octane for his second Group One feature.
Bad Glenny will be the roughie in the field, while Jose’s other hope, Nathalie Rass, and Which Wabbit are listed as reserves for the final.
The $143,000 event will be Australia’s richest-ever staying race.