As Victorian-bred greyhounds of all ages and abilities chase huge prizemoney in Friday night’s inaugural Pink Diamond bonanza at Bendigo, classy litter brothers Drumroll Please and Run And Carry will showcase the ‘long and the short’ of breeding.

Champion division finalists Drumroll Please and Run And Carry are sons of super sire Barcia Bale and Cosmic Owl, bred by successful Newport breeder Jarrod Sharp and Shane O’Hehir, who comprise the ‘Tyler Two Macey’ syndicate.

But family ties are where the similarities between the siblings begin and end.

Drumroll Please, trained for Sharp by Jeff Britton, is lining up in the $120K Champion Distance final (660m), while Run And Carry, recently sold to trainer Matt Lanigan’s father Gerald, will contest the $120K Champion Short Course final (425m).

In another point of difference, Drumroll Please has won 16 from 64, while Run And Carry, a 2020 G1 Hobart Thousand finalist, has been restricted to just 26 starts, winning 14.

“You can’t pick it,” Sharp said. “Run And Carry is a fast ‘horseshoe’ dog, whereas the others in the litter are just as quick but they can go further.

“Drumroll Please has hardly ever been hurt – he’s been the iron dog of the litter – but Run And Carry has had a few injury problems.”

Drumroll Please and Run And Carry are both contesting $75,000 to-the-winner finals that also offer $11,250 first place breeder’s bonuses; with Sharp believing the series is a welcome addition to Victoria’s greyhound racing landscape.

“I reckon one of the best things about it was the great racing last week,” Sharp said.

“Wherever you looked there were good dogs everywhere. It was wall-to-wall. The good dogs were running at Warragul, Shepparton, Ballarat and Geelong and it all culminates on Friday night.

“Every type of dog has been catered for, from maidens to veterans, and it’s a great incentive for breeders.”

“With prizemoney and bonuses, if Drumroll Please is able to win he’ll collect about $86,000. Another dog of mine, Do It, ran second in a G2 race in Brisbane last week, the Flying Amy, and received $20,000 and Drumroll Please is nowhere near as good.

“Every type of dog has been catered for, from maidens to veterans, and it’s a great incentive for breeders. I think people will understand the concept better going forward too.”

Cosmic Owl, which lives as a much-loved pet with Sharp and his family when not engaged in maternal duties, produced Drumroll Please and Run And Carry from her first mating and has had subsequent litters to Mepunga Blazer and Mepunga Cruzer.

The Mepunga Blazer litter has wasted no time making their mark, with Blazer Glory an impressive winner of the VicBred Maiden final at Cranbourne last Saturday.

“I breed one or two litters a year, maybe three. It depends on when they come on season,” Sharp explained.

“Cosmic Owl has done an amazing job, having two runners in the main finals on Friday, and I got her for nothing as well!

“I had her mother (Coulta Sky) and bred a couple of litters with her but they were only average. Then Shane Fisher bred the next litter, it was his decision to go to Cosmic Rumble, and I got one pup from the litter, which was Cosmic Owl.

“I asked a workmate, Shane O’Hehir, if he wanted to have a half-share because he’d only had one previous dog and it didn’t race. So Cosmic Owl was the first dog he’s had that raced and he’s keen as mustard now!

“The Barcia Bale litter also includes Silken – she’s a flying machine. She won her Maiden at The Meadows in 29.86sec but she keeps getting injured. I’ll breed with her for sure.

“I have to say what a great job Jeff (Britton) and Angela (Langton) do. Angela rears all the dogs and any success I have is because of them.”

Race 5 – $120,750 CHAMPION SHORT COURSE FINAL (425m), 8.28pm
Prize money: $75,000 (1^st); $20,000 (2^nd); $10,000 (3^rd)  
Breeder bonus: $11,250 (1^st); $3,000 (2^nd); $1,500 (3^rd)
Conditions: Open class (Maidens ineligible)

Race 6 – $120,750 CHAMPION DISTANCE FINAL (660m), 8.47pm
Prize money: $75,000 (1^st); $20,000 (2^nd); $10,000 (3^rd)
Breeder bonus: $11,250 (1^st); $3,000 (2^nd); $1,500 (3^rd)
Conditions: Open class (Maidens ineligible)

• BREEDERS BASK IN PINK DIAMOND RICHES