Iva Vision is considered one of the outsiders for tonight’s Group 2 Macro Meats Shootout, but trainer Peter Young and his father Brian are confident heading into the unique four-dog spectacle.

Brian, who is 74 years old, hasn’t had a bet for more than a decade but tonight is making an investment into the $6.00 chance with TAB Fixed Odds that will jump from box three.

“Dad hasn’t had a bet in 10 years,” Peter said “I’ve seen him go to the race and say that he likes dogs but he never has a bet on them so maybe it’s a good sign.”

The winner of the South Australian Derby is somewhat of an unknown in tonight’s Shootout with sporadic form in terms of the times he has run leading to him being one of the outsiders for the race. Those that know the greyhound however, understand his talent and are confident heading into tonight’s $50,000 feature.

“With the scratching of Banjo Boy I expect him (Iva Vision) to lead tonight and it will be up to the other greyhounds to run him down.

“We’re very confident that he will be right there in the finish.”

This confidence stems from an understanding of what the dog has overcome in his short career, particularly with his first trip to Melbourne.

A dodgey GPS system and some difficulties travelling to a state where you don’t know anybody, clearly hindered Iva Vision’s first trip down south just three weeks ago.

“Dad got off the plane with the dog and put him in the van,” Peter remembers “then it took him nearly four hours to get to Sandown because the GPS map took him on a route with no tolls.”

According to Google maps, a trip from Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport to Sandown Park in Springvale should take no more than 48 minutes but faith in technology and no local knowledge clearly hampered the travel in this instance.

“He had to jump straight out of the car and onto the track basically. He didn’t lose any weight and wasn’t flustered or anything.

“I don’t think there are many dogs that would have been so calm with all that was happening but he was great.

“After the trial he had to jump straight back on a plane back to Queensland and everything was still great with him.”

In that trial, the son of Ivan Brown and Visualization ran a scorching 29.28 seconds over the 515m in what was his first look at the track, which is home to the world’s richest greyhound race, the $600,000 TAB Melbourne Cup.

Since that experience just three weeks ago, the Young’s have changed their travel plans, with Iva Vision now kenneled at Kel Greenough’s Pearcedale property, where he has settled in ‘perfectly’.

In a Cup prelude just last week, the 35kg black chaser ran 29.43 seconds from off the speed with a slow start meaning he had to navigate his way through the field.

Tonight, connections believe the four-dog format will help him accelerate quicker than usual meaning that he will be close to the lead.

“He seems to jump okay usually but needs to gather himself before really accelerating.

“The format of the race tonight is fantastic for him. We wish there were more races like this because it will show the best of the greyhounds that are in it.”

Young knew that he had a very talented greyhound on his hands when he received some feedback from one of Queensland’s most successful greyhound racing participants.

“I remember earlier in his career Reg Kay said to me ‘you don’t know what you’ve got here’ which meant that we had a special greyhound.

“Hearing that from someone like Reg was amazing and we are still pinching ourselves in a way.”

Tonight, Iva Vision will jump from box three in the unique four-dog Macro Meats Shootout at Sandown Park with all eyes on him to see if the connections confidence is justified.

WATCH: Iva Vision wins his Victorian debut at Sandown Park
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Related content: 

Banjo Boy out of Shootout

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 PIC: Brian Young with Iva Vision after his Victorian debut at Sandown Park. INSET: Iva Vision winning at Sandown Park. Courtesy Paul Munt. 

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