Floodgate

Breeding: SIRE: Chariot Supreme DAM: Bonjour Cecie

Whelped : 01/11/1989

Trainer : Peter Giles

Owners : Arthur Cooper

Career Race Record : Broodbitch inductee

Career Prizemoney : Broodbitch inductee

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Won 25 races
• Producer of 22 race dogs who combined for 362 wins
• Producer of stud dogs Jack Junior and Pete’s Boss
• Producer of top class greyhounds Ashlee Jeannine, Floodfawn, Flood Gun, Flood Law, and Initiative
• Grand producer of Elgrando, Flashing Floods, Paddy’s Flame and many other topliners.
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On the racetrack Floodgate could certainly compete with the best, but her induction into GRV’s Hall of Fame is recognition of her outstanding influence on the breeding scene, and she joins Wee Sal as the only greyhounds to be inducted for their achievements as brood matrons.

Following a career that spanned 93 starts for 25 wins and 33 minor placings, Floodgate went on to have five litters between 1993 and 1998. Amazingly these litters produced 22 racedogs that combined for a staggering 362 wins; an average of more than 16 wins per pup.

However, Floodgate’s influence doesn’t end there, with some of her sons including Adelaide Cup winner Jack Junior and Pete’s Boss, plus daughters Ashlee Jeannine and Floodfawn all featuring successfully on the breeding scene in their own right.

Floodgate’s bloodlines have been prominent in the making of Peter Giles’ hugely successful breeding and training complex in Moe, and have also had a huge bearing on the life of Floodgate’s owner Arthur Cooper.

“Floodgate’s bloodlines have won hundreds of thousands of dollars”, Cooper said. A lot of the prize money I’ve won has been reinvested in stud fees and the rearing of my pups, but the prize money is great in Victoria and there is also a breeder’s scheme which makes breeding greyhounds worthwhile.

The Floodgate breeding dynasty began when Cooper asked Giles if he was interested in breeding with Floodgate, and from there a deal was struck with the arrangement being Cooper would receive two pups from each of her litters, and also from any litter that Giles bred with her daughters.

“I can’t thank the Giles family enough for what has been a great 20 years of racing. That includes Peter, his wife Jeannine and their kids, who have all been a big part of the success of the Floodgate line”, Cooper said.

Floodgate died in 2004 aged 15, and Cooper remembers the daughter of Chariot Supreme and Bonjour Cecie with great fondness.

“She enjoyed being a mum but I thought of her as a real working mum because she loved to race. In fact, she loved racing so much that she returned to the racetrack after her first litter and went on to win another seven races”, Cooper said.

Incredibly, Floodgate and her progeny have produced in excess of 20 individual greyhounds that have won Group races or held track records, with some of the best including Ashlee Jeannine, Jack Junior, Flashing Floods, Elgrando, Mid City Mandy, Our Spence, Paddy’s Flame, Pete’s Boss, Regal Bart, Regal Brett, Regal Ricky and Silent Guardian.

A commemorative plaque for Floodgate is on display at the Giles property, such is the esteem she is held in.

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