Kel’s perfect bitch

By Brad Kingsbury
PEARCEDALE greyhound trainer Kel Greenough described his kennel star Cindeen Shelby as the perfect professional racing dog after she led all the way to win the $72,500 Group 1 Macro Meats Crown Classic at Sandown Park last Thursday night.
The 38-month old sprinter created history with the victory, making it three Group 1 wins in four weeks after she won the Paws of Thunder at Wentworth Park in Sydney followed by the Sky Racing Topgun at the Meadows a week later.
“I never thought she would be as good as she is the start. She has just progressed and kept improving,” the thrilled trainer said. “She’s an outstanding dog at home in every way and just never does anything wrong. She is a true professional.”
Cindeen Shelby started from the inside box one in Australia’s premier race for female greyhounds, and was never headed after jumping to the lead and extending her advantage to two lengths down the back straight.
The daughter of Triple Crown winner Bombastic Shiraz, maintained her margin in the run to the line and claimed the $50,000 first prize in a time of 29.72 seconds, holding off the fast finishing Flash Of Light with Bora Bale a gallant third.
Queen Lauryn, who ran a scintillating 29.42 in her heat, found early trouble but finished strongly to run fourth.
Greenough has had the talented bitch in his kennel for only nine months but said she was already the best he had trained.
“She’s the best race dog I’ve ever had. I don’t think I’ll ever have another like her,” he said. “I wasn’t over confident but the box draw made a big difference. I was actually a bit surprised that she was favourite. It was a good field so you can’t be too sure but she was just unbelievable. I would really like to thank (owner) Ray Parkinson – it’s so hard to get hold of a dog like this.”
Greenough also paid special tribute to Ray Border, the manager of major race sponsor Macro Meats, saying that he was now one of the biggest financial supporters of greyhound racing and the industry would not be as robust without that assistance.
The win was Cindeen Shelby’s fifth Group race win and 25th victory of her 42-race career, taking her career earnings to $368,050.
Cindeen Shelby has never run great time at Sandown Park, however her record of three starts for three wins can not be faulted and Greenough said she would now be set for the $250,000 Melbourne Cup, her fourth Group 1 challenge in a row.
“That will be her biggest challenge for sure but she is a true competitor and she makes her own luck, so we’ll give it a go.”
The heats of the Melbourne Cup will be run on Thursday, 19 November, with the final to be run on Thursday, 26 November.