Sprinting sensation Jebrynah returns from a 223-day injury-enforced hiatus in a heat of the Group 2 Horsham Cup (485m) this evening.
Amazingly, Jebrynah hasn’t raced since toppling superstar Whiskey Riot in a heat of last year’s G1 Maturity Classic (525m) at The Meadows on July 20.
Now that’s an impressive last-start statistic on any greyhound’s race CV – but how this pair’s paths have taken different directions!
Whiskey Riot has rocketed to G1 stardom, while Jebrynah fractured a sesamoid bone in his left front foot in that win – but still managed to record 29.80sec.
WATCH: Jebrynah (6) topple Whiskey Riot (3) in a Maturity Classic heat on July 20 last year.
At that point, it was the Feb ’17 Cosmic Rumble x Jebrynah Glory dog’s 19th win from 29 starts. So, the world was looking his oyster!
However, trainer Rocky Crisafi has been extremely patient with Jebrynah’s recovery and it may prove a virtue.
As with any lengthy break in sport, there’s an element of the unknown and even Crisafi says “we’ve taken a gamble”.
“It’s pretty hard to assess, but I’ve got him fit now… “I’ve been able to give him a lot of work,” Crisafi said.
Jebrynah completed a satisfactory trial at Sale (440m) on February 2 as a condition of his racetrack return. He won by seven and half lengths in a smart 24.82sec.
Bred and owned by Bryan Sykes, Jebrynah is pitted against dual G1 finalist Tiggerlong Tonk (Box 7) in Race 8 (Heat 5, 5.37pm). The duo is $2.30 and $1.80F respectively on TAB fixed odds.
Jebrynah will exit from box six, from which he has won five races in six starts.
“I’m hoping for the best… But I wouldn’t run him if I didn’t think he’d be competitive,” Crisafi said.
A win would be a belated birthday present for Crisafi. The greyhound training stalwart turned 72 yesterday.
