Queensland Futurity Winner Katie Merry Named Australia’s Best Greyhound For March 2012
AGRA's Greyhound of the Month for March 2012 is the young up and coming Victorian sprinter Katie Merry. In March the talented Katie Merry won three of her four starts including the heat and final of the Group 2 Queensland Futurity at Albion Park in Queensland.
The beautifully bred youngster (Go Wild Teddy x Miss Mini Mouse) recorded her first Group victory when she flew the lids and gave nothing else a chance the win was also the first Group success for her owner Ben Riddle.
He paid $25,000 for Katie Merry a few months ago from breeder Paul Bartolo and in eight starts since, the bitch has won five been second once and third twice and earned $64,000.
Katie Merry ($3.00) (Go Wild Teddy-Miss Mini Mouse) scored by four and three-quarter lengths over Aladdin's Queen ($45.20) with three-quarters to the favourite Fotoula Bale ($1.70) in third.
Ben Riddle, a Victorian with two real estate businesses, has dabbled in greyhound racing for some time but a year ago he decided to “give the game a good try”.
Katie Merry is trained by Brett and Kelly Bravo the husband and wife team from Lovely Banks in Victoria but she spent three weeks with Ryan Ayre in Brisbane, winning her three starts at Albion Park.
She won a best 8 on the first of March in 30.22, then her heat of the Futurity on the eighth recording 30.30.
In the final Katie Merry flew the lids, held out Lucky Star at the first turn, then raced clear into the back straight. She was never going to be beaten after that.
“This is a little bitch whose confidence is sky high now and I don't want to take any chance of her losing any of it,” said Brett after the Futurity. “For the next six months she will concentrate on age and sex restricted races.”
The first will be the Warrnambool Classic followed by the Sapphire Classic and Ladies Bracelet.
Bravo returned home to Melbourne after the Futurity for a start at Meadows on March 24th she finished third behind Elmira Bale in 30.35.
Katie Merry is a Black bitch whelped January 2010 by Go Wild Teddy from Miss Mini Mouse (Brett Lee x Leprechaun Yap). She is raced by Ben Riddle and trained by Kelly Bravo of Lovely Banks in Victoria. Katie Merry has won 11 and finished placed on nine occasions from 24 starts. Her current stake earnings stand at $76,556.
The month of March saw nine group races decided. Katie Merry beat Group 2 winners Path To Vegas, Dyna Tron and Bellagio Lad for the monthly award.