Razor’s Edge, favourite for Thursday night’s Geelong Derby Final (460m), has started his career in remarkably similar fashion to his sire Cutting Edge.
That’s no mean feat because Cutting Edge, which like Razor’s Edge, was bred and raced by successful breeders Geoff Collins and partner Ros Hume, won his first seven starts.
Cutting Edge tasted defeat for the first time as even-money favourite in the 2015 Group 2 Great Chase Final, won by a star in Unlawful Entry.
It’s been a case of like father, like son, with Razor’s Edge, the headline act in Cutting Edge’s very first litter, winning seven of his first eight starts, highlighted by a 530m track record at Murray Bridge.
“This dog is faster than Cutting Edge,” Geoff Collins said of Razor’s Edge.
“He’s the fastest dog we’ve ever had in terms of sheer speed.
“Cutting Edge won his first seven on the trot but then he got a little tear in his back muscle.
“It was nothing too serious but when we brought him back he did it again. We probably could have got him back again but we had other pups coming through and didn’t get around to it.
“We bred Razor’s Edge, we bred his dad and we bred the mum, Enjoy (Bekim Bale – Zarbo) so it’s nice to see him start off so well.”
Razor’s Edge dominated betting on the second of two Geelong Derby heats held last Friday, starting at $1.40 from box one, but he could only finish third to Angela Langton’s 25.68s winner Vivatar.
But the move from the rails to box eight, from where he’s unbeaten in three assignments, has seen TAB install Razor’s Edge as $2.50 favourite for Thursday night’s $6300 to-the-winner Derby Final.
His heat conqueror Vivatar and Fearless, trained by John Barbara, which won the opening heat in 25.80s, share the second line of betting at $3.80.
“He’s got the pink this week, which might suit him a bit better than the rails but it’s a nice calibre field,” Collins offered.
“While he broke the record at Murray Bridge a few starts ago, I just don’t think he’s going quite as well as he was earlier on.
“It’s nothing earth-shattering; I just think he’s off a little from where he was, so after Geelong we might just back off him a bit.”
While Razor’s Edge has been ultra- impressive to date winning seven from 11 over sprint distances and he trials “Aussie Infrared” (Maitland Cup winner and Warrnambool 390m record holder) times over short-courses, Collins predicts he’ll also be effective over further distances.
“I think he will get ground,” Collins said.
“His mother (Enjoy) was a really fast dog. She was a jet – she won her maiden at Cranbourne in 30.11s – but she only raced four times because she hurt a ligament in her foot and it kept blowing up.
“Enjoy had a litter brother called Porrentruy that ran 42.06s over 720m at Wentworth Park, and while Cutting Edge only had one distance run, over 570m at Horsham, he won the Wimmera Distance Championship and held off a couple of handy 700m dogs.
“Razor’s Edge’s litter also includes dogs called Cutlass and Bayonet, which go alright, but he’s definitely the standout.”
