Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup winner Bago Bye Bye has been flown back to his previous trainer Darren Russell in northern New South Wales. Understandably, the sudden move came as a shock to his co-trainer Dave Fahey after the current Addington 520m track record holder had his last race at the Christchurch headquarters last Thursday evening.
Pictured: NZ Cup winner Bago Bye Bye who has returned to Australia (pic Dave Robbie)
“We don’t really know the full details about what he’s going to do over there. There was some talk he has been sold while his owner (Greg Watts) said to me after he won the New Zealand Cup that stake money for Queensland greyhound racing had been significantly increased,” said Dave Fahey, who added, “It’s disappointing and his departure has left a big hole. At the end of the day his owner has every right to do whatever he wants to do with him.”
Dave and Jean Fahey turned Bago Bye Bye into an absolute flying machine after he arrived in their Balcairn-based kennels in June. He displayed his enormous talent when trialing at Addington, however a pin muscle injury put a six-week delay to his introduction to New Zealand greyhound racing.
His Kiwi debut was empathic when on September 21 Bago Bye Bye slipped through his Addington C1 520m assignment in a slick 29.82s. He quickly rushed through the grades and while doing so when graded as a C2 chaser he demolished the Addington 520m track record when on October 19 he rocketed over the trip in a slippery 29.59s.
Bago Bye Bye commenced the $125,000 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup series as a C4 assessed greyhound. He won his 520m heat in 29.94s and then his semi-final in a quick 29.63s from where he went onto claim the nation’s richest greyhound race in 30s flat.
Bago Bye Bye raced on this side of the Tasman 13 times. His distinctive dark facial colouring was sighted crossing the line first in ten of those races with his Kiwi stake earnings concluding at $86,367.
Bago Bye Bye following his New Zealand Cup victory and with his Kiwi trainers Dave and Jean Fahey
Bigtime Pete Breaks Manawatu 410m Track Record
The ink had hardly dried on the last week’s entry into the Manawatu 410m record book, when the sprint record was reset during Monday’s racing at the Manawatu Raceway. The previous Monday saw the Lisa Cole prepared Bigtime Basher setting fresh 410m figures when he completed his assignment in 23.17s.
Roll onto this Monday and Cole presented the exciting chasing prospect Bigtime Pete for his return to racing after having a six week spell. This son of Fabregas and Kissing Gwyneth blasted away from the eight trap to deliver his power packed sprint, stopping the clock in a swift 23.15s. As commentator Mark Rosanowski said immediately after his call: “23.15s - we have a new 410m track record. It looked fast and it was fast.”
Bigtime Pete was only on his ninth race day start and this win was his seventh (two seconds) all over sprint distances. It will be interesting to see how he handles the step up to 457m/520m distances for his owning BBC syndicate.
Bigtime Pete with Brendon Cole following his Monday 23.15s 410m track record sprint (pic Palmerston North GRC)
By Peter Fenemor
