'Big Bad Boy' Ipswich winner surging ahead

As well as his successes at Ipswich and Townsville, the versatile dog also has wins at Albion Park, Casino, Lismore and Wentworth Park.

Paul Dolan. Picture: Warren Lynam

FROM Sydney's Royal Randwick to Townsville in north Queensland, via Ipswich.

That's the path which has been followed by Gold Coast-based practising medico George Clegg in recent times.

Clegg owns and trains talented greyhound Big Bad Bob who won last Tuesday's Townsville Cup with a barnstorming finish.

Clegg is a racehorse owner too and was in Sydney at the start of this month to see Pierata, in which he has a share, win the $200,000 Missile Stakes at Randwick.

Big Bad Bob doesn't possess a great deal of early pace.

From box seven in the Townsville Cup, the son of Lochinvar Marlow and Bralyn Casey was able to give the leaders a start and run them down in the lengthy Townsville home straight to claim the $25,000 first prize.

Fire to Rain, a well known performer at Ipswich for Bribie Island's Chris Riordon, finished second.

Natty's on Fire, for Jay Schafer, did best of the locals with third placing.

Big Bad Bob has won 24 of his 66 starts. He has nine wins at Ipswich, where he won his maiden, at career start number eight in March ast year.

As well as his successes at Ipswich and Townsville, the versatile dog also has wins at Albion Park, Casino, Lismore and Wentworth Park.

$1 million reward

THERE'S a new $1 million to the winner greyhound race series about to start in NSW.

There will be heats at various tracks, including Lismore on Tuesday night.

Plenty of Queenslanders will be there, as the series is not restricted to greyhounds trained in NSW, or those sold through any auction sale.

Vics dominate

QUEENSLAND'S runners struggled in the National Sprint and Distance Championship finals at Sandown Park last Friday night.

The Selena Zammit trained Double Gee ran seventh to boom stayer Tornado Tears in the distance event.

Maurice Minor, for Tom Tzouvelis, ran fifth to sprint winner West On Augie.

Tornado Tears is trained in Victoria by Robert Britton.

West On Augie is trained in Perth by Chris Halse whose partner is Linda Britton, the sister of Robert.

Victorian dogs win the national sprint and distance championships on a regular basis. West On Augie became the first Western Australian trained national sprint champion since Prince of Tigers in 1997.

Big race heats

HEATS of the Ipswich Derby and Futurity will be run tomorrow week.

On the night of the finals, Saturday, September 15, there will also be the running of the Past Members Trophy over 630 metres. That race always attracts a good quality field.

Consider this

PLAN to live forever. So far, so good.