Greyhounds Gallant Man retired

Press, 1 February 1986, Page 26

Greyhounds Gallant Man retired

By

STEVE WILSON

The 1984-85 Canterbury

Greyhound of the Year, Gallant Man, has been retired from racing after suffering from dropped muscles in both back legs. The outstanding son of Our Edition and Dulcie Kay was whelped on March 5,1982. In a career which spanned for approximately two and half years he had 38 starts for 18 wins and 17 platings.

He started his career under the guidance of his owner, the prominent galloping trainer, Murray McPhie. He had six starts for three wins while being trained by McPhie. The Weedons trainers, Mike and and Wendy Lelliot, then secured Gallant Man on lease in May, 1984, for the rest of his racing career. “Boy,” as he was known to the Lelliots, then built up an impressive list of victories in some of the biggest races in the country. These included the Classique Cottages New Zealand Championship at Queen Elizabeth II Park in 1984. The previous year the Lelllots were also successful in the event when they prepared Supreme Domino to win. The Invercargill Showgrounds track was also a happy hunting ground for him. He was only defeated twice there. Both times he was a dose second to the locally trained Wee Donna Dandy. Included among his Invercargill victories were the Interprovincial Challenge, Invercargill Cup, Anniversary Stakes and the Essex Stakes. His attractive record

obviously did not impress North Island followers ofthe sport when they al-,, lowed him to come home at more than 16 to 1 in the Inter-Island Invitation 4 Stakes at Claudelands in); April, 1985. That race a probably attracted one of ) the best fields ever to./, assemble in New Zealand. Those who were for- 3 tunate to see the outstandIng brindle race will long ) remember his ability to thread his way through ) the field from seemingly ) hopeless positions. He ; often gave his rivals a big -j start, but once he got:, wound up they soon knew ;:; he was in the race. “t Mike Lelliot feels that . he was a little field shy ' after getting “chewed up” in the catching pens after _ a race. “He would tend to roll his eyes at the dogs either side of him when being put into the starting boxes and try to back) out,” ,he says.. . He went very close to J. breaking the track records for 560 m at Queen ' Elizabeth n Park and for i 530 m at Chertsey. Consld- J ering the starts that he. gave the rest of the field, • these efforts were quite outstanding. Mike and Wendy Lelliot) will now stand Gallant _> Man at stud. They feel he, has a lot to offer with his amazing will to. win and his fine track record. He will know no • doubt be a major asset for . South Island breeders. Greyhound racing can do with many more of the» calibre of Gallant Man; ;., just as trotting needs the likes of Hands Down. Let’s hope we do not have to wait too long.