LUCK is something that is needed in racing and greyhound owner Gregory Board has certainly had his fair share in the past 12 months.
Board took out the 2011 Bathurst Gold Cup with Spring Smile and the 2011 Soldiers Saddle with Spring Blueboy.
Those wins took a combination of both handy greyhounds and luck in running.
Now he is aiming to win a third Bathurst title with Spring Blueboy in the 2012 Bathurst Cup tonight.
He has already had a bit of luck go his way, having drawn the one box.
If he does, he will be the first owner to have won the Saddle and Cup in the same season.
The Soldiers Saddle and the Bathurst Gold Cup are two of the biggest races at Kennerson Park on the Bathurst calendar and to win the prestigious double with the same chaser is something all owners and trainers hope for.
Spring Blueboy is owned by Spring Hill resident Board and trained by one of NSW’s best conditioners Christine Oldfield.
Their combination has worked in the past and both are hoping it will work again tonight.
Bathurst Greyhounds operations manager Craig Townsend said the final will make for a great race and if Spring Blueboy does win, it will be the first time a dog has won both majors in the same season.
“The final will be fast, blink and you will miss it,” he said.
“Spring Blueboy is hard to go past. He has done the first thing right and drawn box one. He ran a sub-30 to make the final, but there are a lot of talented greyhounds in this final.
“I do think the winner will have to run a sub-30 with the very hot field we have.”
Townsend said the aim of the Soldiers Saddle was to help turn young, upcoming chasers into group contenders.
It is something that has worked for at least the 2011 winner.
“The Saddle has done what it was meant to do. Spring Blueboy is going well and consolation winner of the [2011] Soldiers Saddle Midnight Capers went into win a group race,” Townsend said.
“If Spring Blueboy wins it will be another notch in his belt.”
“Other finalists to watch are Mr Gazmick, who came in second in his heat behind Spring Blueboy and still ran a hot 29.84, and Cowra owner-trainer Rodney McDonald’s bitch Good Thing.”
The 520 metre Bathurst Gold Cup final will be run at 6.30pm at Kennerson Park tonight and the winner earns $12,000.