Bekim Bale Awarded September 2011 Australian Greyhound Run Of The Month
AGRA's Run of the Month for September 2011 has been awarded to new sprint sensation from Victoria Bekim Bale. The youngster burst onto the scene at the start of September recording extraordinary times at Sandown Park.
What was maybe thought to be impossible for a greyhound having his third start Bekim Bale stopped the clock in a breathtaking 28.96 seconds on September 25.
Amazingly it was for the third time in 10 days that the Sandown Park 515m track record had been broken.
In becoming the first greyhound to break the 29 second barrier, the son of Bartrim Bale and Amelia Bale slashed 2.5 lengths off Cape Hawke's previous mark set just eight days earlier. Jumping well from box eight – the same box he had drawn when second to Heston Bale in track record time 10 days prior – Bekim Bale led to the first mark in 5.07 seconds before putting the race beyond doubt down the back straight.
Showing a blistering turn of foot, Bekim Bale equalled El Grand Senor's second split record of 18.59 seconds before racing to a 13.5 length win.
“He's a very exciting young pup,” said handler Tom Dailly.
“After he trialled 29.35 here on a Saturday morning I thought that he could get down to around the 29 second mark and maybe one day break it, but he's done it a little bit earlier than I thought.
He got a clear run and once they told me he'd run 18.59 off the back I thought he might break it and he did.”
It was a remarkable effort for a greyhound having just its third race start. And in an ominous sign for rivals in the upcoming SKY Racing Superdogs series, Dailly believes there is still scope for improvement.
“When he first started he wasn't brilliant out of the box but the more they race the better they come and be more competitive early which is good.”
Bekim Bale will contest a Solo Melbourne Cup Prelude in coming weeks, with the Group 3 $40,000 winner-takes-all Macro Meats Shootout on Thursday 3 November also possibly on the agenda.
Bekim Bale is a Black Dog whelped October 2009 by Bartrim Bale from Amelia Bale (Sonic Flight x Evonne Bale) he is raced by Paul Wheeler and trained by the Dailly team at Anakie in Victoria.
He has raced four times for three wins and a second his overall stake earnings stand at $7,910.
As usual there were some outstanding runs recorded in September but Bekim Bale got the verdict after becoming the first greyhound in history to run under 29 seconds at Sandown Park amazingly at his third start in a race.
AGRA congratulates owner Paul Wheeler, trainers the Dailly camp and Bekim Bale on being judged the AGRA Run of the Month for September 2011. He joins the previous winners for 2011. Miata, Punk Warrior, He Knows Uno (2), Symmetry, Enry Walt, stayer Bobby Boucheau and Queenslander Bogie King.