Kempshall kennels on track to scoop all before them

SCOOP Tank’s win in Monday night’s Grafton GBOTA 1-4 wins final highlighted how strongly Sonia and Warren Kempshall’s kennels are performing.

CHAMPION EFFORT: Sonia Kempshall with Grafton GBOTA 1 to 4 wins winner Scoop Tank at Grafton Greyhound Racing Club. Photo: Bill North/Daily Examiner. Picture: Bill North

SCOOP Tank's win in Monday night's Grafton GBOTA 1-4 wins final highlighted how strongly Sonia and Warren Kempshall's kennels are performing.

The training couple currently lead the 2013/14 Grafton Trainer of the Year pointscore.

But it's been a process that hasn't always delivered success since moving to Sandy Crossing from Townsville four years ago.

"It's taken us a couple of years to get a grip on what goes, because there's different racing dogs in North Queensland to here," Warren Kempshall explained.

"We were buying a few dogs that didn't work, so we thought let's breed our own.

"The last six months, out of pups that we've bred, we've been lucky enough to get a few good'uns.

"It's all worked out pretty good."

Bred by the couple, Scoop Tank ($8.20, box 3), by Velocette out of Sootica, was greeted more like the family pet than a working sprinter by a jubilant Sonia after the win.

The final shaped as an open field as at least six dogs with genuine claims.

But once the lids opened Scoop Tank never looked like being caught, taking his fourth win from 13 starts by more than eight lengths in a brisk 22.91 seconds over the 407 metre journey.

Janette Finneran trained Gabrielle Trick ($3.10 fav, box 1) just held out Dean Turley's Macgallen ($13.00, box 5) for second. Current leader for Grafton Greyhound of the Year, Kenneth Neave trained Dora's Nightmare ($7.00, box 6), was fourth.

"I was pretty confident," Warren said. "Last start he didn't come out real flash, but he was right tonight. He's very, very strong when he gets on the bunny, done and dusted."

With four race meetings to go before the end of the 2013/14 season, Scoop Tank's win helped the Kempshalls extend their lead in the Grafton Trainer of the Year point score on 224 points from Dave Irwin (197) while Evelyn Harris (186) gained ground with Classic Bonus' 480m win.

The Kempshalls are aiming to feature strongly at the July Carnival, including a homecoming swansong for Vee String, who last month recorded four wins in a row at Bulli and Temora, training under Brian McKivat.

"She's going to be set for the sprinters cup. We've also got a couple of nice young dogs we'll put in the maiden series. I'm happy about what dogs we've got for the carnival."

2014 GRAFTON LEADERS

Trainer of the Year
224    Sonia Kempshall
197    Dave Irwin
186    Evelyn Harris
161.5 Reg Gardoll
130    Gavin Lowe

Greyhound of the Year
41 Dora's Nightmare
40 Sheza Sonnet
37 Battlefront
35 Sail Away
34 Sugar Gaze

Originally published as Kempshall kennels on track to scoop all before them