Opawa Brad is a greyhound who quietly keeps on ticking over delivering competitive races without, aside from one occasion, really attracting the headlines. Therefore it was a thoroughly deserved NZRS Graduation victory for a greyhound of Brad’s nature to annex Thursday’s edition of the $8,400 final.
Pictured: Opawa Brad following his well-earned NZRS Graduation Thursday win (pic Danny Laing)
Opawa Brad’s trainers Dave and Jean Fahey certainly wouldn’t rate him up amongst their kennel stars, nor would his breeders and owning Opawa Racing team consider Brad as one of the leading greyhounds they have bred and raced.
What both parties would definitely acknowledge is that greyhounds as consistent as Opawa Brad, who is a member of the January 2015 whelped Winsome Opawa and Opawa Andrea litter, are like gold to be involved with.
Opawa Brad quietly went about his work when the Cambridge 457m traps lifted. He hopped away with his rivals from the seven trap from where he pushed his way forward to settle just in behind the early pacemakers.
It was the Lisa Cole prepared race favourite Bigtime JayJay who was setting the early pace from trap one. His kennelmate Bigtime Liam led the chase after him with Opawa Brad slotting in just in behind them.
Opawa Brad eased his way around Bigtime Liam when rounding the big sweeping Cambridge turn, then he angled himself down onto the rail when straightening up for the run home where Bigtime JayJay was still controlling the pace. Also improving his field position at this stage was Opawa Brad’s kennelmate Kia Tere.
Opawa Brad punched his way up along the rail to master Bigtime JayJay within sight of the retiring Waikato judge Phil Wells who was then was able to credit Opawa Brad with his one length victory after 25.68s of chasing action.
Kia Tere maintained his strong finishing gallop which carried this son of Velocette and Opawa Peekay into the runner’s up possie. The stylish manner in the way he finished can be measured in the way he relegated Bigtime JayJay, who is a son of Collision and Darlyne Ottey, back to third by a 1.75 length margin. There was another length back to the fourth placed Bigtime Liam (Magic Sprite – Hello Ello).
The one occasion when Opawa Brad did feature in the headlines came when he stylishly annexed last season’s edition of the New Zealand Sire’s Produce Stakes over the Manukau 527m trip at Group 2 level. He does own a Group 1 placing when he finished third in the 2017 running of the New Zealand Breeders’ Stakes at the Hatrick Raceway.
Opawa Brad has now completed 63 career races, resulting in 17 wins, 18 minor placings and $63,150 in stake earnings (excluding Breeders’ bonus payments). You can be assured that this bloke will continue to go about securing more successes in the professional manner he conducts himself during his race day assignments.
Handler Cory Steele with the Waikato NZRS Graduation winner Opawa Brad; Opawa Brad flanked by his runner up kennelmate Kia Tere and third placed Bigtime JayJay; Opawa Brad with Opawa Racing syndicate manager Robin Wales following his New Zealand Sire’s Produce Stakes victory
Pawnote: Thursday’s Waikato meeting marked an ending of an era for the Cambridge based club with their long standing judge Phil Wells retiring after two decades of dedicated service. Phil, whose jovial nature will be missed at the raceway, was also the regular back up judge at the Manukau Stadium.
Retiring Waikato judge Phil Wells seen here with Tracy Craik and Beautiful Boy who won the Phil Wells Stakes
By Peter Fenemor
