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  • Friday, 27 Mar, 2020,
  • by Peter Quilty

Winning Winnie

It’s difficult to match the racetrack deeds of 2006 AGRA Australian Greyhound of the Year, Betty’s Angel.

She also won the 2006 Victorian Greyhound of the Year award, along with three G1s – including the 2006 Melbourne Cup defeating her litter sister and kennelmate Miss Mini Mouse.

Betty’s Angel won 20 races (with five seconds and five thirds) from 43 starts. She amassed $441,570 in prizemoney.

But Little River trainer Paul Bartolo says, ability wise, Hardaway Winnie is almost on a pedestal with his former megastar.

“Actually, she has a similar racing pattern, but Betty’s Angel would have been around one to two lengths stronger over the final split,” Bartolo said.

A recent runner-up in the Group 1 Australian Cup (525m), Hardaway Winnie relishes the Broadmeadows circuit. And she’ll have her fifth consecutive start there tomorrow night.

WATCH: Hardaway Winnie (4) stroll to victory in an Australian Cup heat.

Hardaway Winnie has had nine starts at The Meadows for four wins, two seconds and two thirds. And she has a 29.78sec PB from Box 4.

“It’s her favourite track… She was broken-in there,” Bartolo said. “She knows The Meadows like the back of her paw.”

Hardaway Winnie, who is quoted at $2.90 in early betting markets, will line up in Race 8 at 8.58pm.

“If she leads, she wins… Her forte is early pace and I’d back her to win if I knew she could find the front,” Bartolo said. “However, Faithy Bale (Box 1) will be hard to cross and is the main danger.”

Bartolo’s only disclaimer is Hardaway Winnie has drawn awkwardly in box six.

“It’s been a hoodoo box for her, but if she steps away cleanly it shouldn’t worry her.”

Hardaway Winnie has raced on 43 occasions for 13 wins, nine seconds and eight thirds. Her stakes total $141,280. She was also a finalist in last year’s G2 Laurels.

Peter QuiltyPeter Quilty

Peter Quilty

Peter Quilty has more than three decades of experience as assistant editor of Victorian Greyhound Weekly. He was editor of GRV monthly magazine The Adviser (2001-09) and owner/publisher of Australian Greyhound Monthly. He also served on the selection panel for the inaugural GRV ‘Hall of Fame’ inductees and for several years was an adjudicator on the Victorian GOTY. He’s also published greyhound racing yearbooks and wrote the ‘Bold Trease’ video script.

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