Left: Despite the loss of their dog Fred Basset, Hamish Blake and Andy Lee were only too happy to have a laugh with Tyler Stone, winning part-owner of Spirit Squad. Blake has to wear a helmet 24 hours a day after losing to Lee in the Melbourne Grand Prix celebrity race.By Glen Atwell
THE lure of a limousine full of attractive poodles could not entice Fox FM celebrity greyhound Fred Basset to victory at Sandown Park last Thursday night.
Hamish Blake and Andy Lee, hosts of the Hamish and Andy show and part owners of Fred Basset, were helping to film a segment on Fred’s racing career for Channel Nine program Talk To The Animals, and watched the race trackside among a large crowd.
But their hero hound could only manage a third placing.
Fred Basset ($7.60 TAB) jumped well from box four and gained an inside run to contest the lead on the first turn, but was out-sprinted by eventual winner and race favourite Spirit Squad ($2.60).
River Man ($11.10) powered past Fred in the concluding stages to finish second.
Before the race, Blake was confident Fred could turn the tide on three consecutive third placings.
“We’re focused on the now, not the past,” he said.
“Fred hasn’t won a race at Sandown yet, but let’s not bring fact into the equation.”
Lee said Fred would be well rewarded if he could return to his winning ways.
“There is a limousine full of attractive poodles waiting for him,” he said.
But it was not enough to spark Fred to victory, and the greyhound added another third placing to his career statistics.
After the race Blake and Lee addressed the crowd and were disappointed with the result
“At this stage Fred Basset finished third, but obviously there has been some sort of cheating involved,” Blake joked.
The duo stuck around to sign autographs and were photographed with the dog’s fans.
Blake said it was great to come to Sandown and join in the fun with Fred’s fanatical fans.
“It’s a bit quieter out her tonight than the last time (Fred raced at Sandown),” he said.
“It’s great to meet all the fans and watch Fred race. He has attracted such a big following around Australia.”
In the feature race of the night, Miss Mini Mouse won the Bert Bryant Memorial.
Beginning fairly, Miss Mini Mouse ($1.90 TAB) was headed by rank outsider Brother Waters ($35.00) through the first turn before taking a menacing position behind him down the back straight.
Rounding the home turn, Paul Bartolo’s beautifully bred bitch pounced on a narrow rails run and powered through to take the win in a slick time of 29.81 seconds.
Brother Waters held on for second 1.5 lengths adrift, narrowly holding off the fast-finishing Coulta Bomber.
Time Fly’s ($1.80F) scored an emotional win in the inaugural Ron Nestor Memorial.
The rising four year old has suffered two broken hocks in his career, but returned better than ever to score the $10,000 first prize for Karen Leek.
