Compliance is a ‘teacher’s pet’ – literally!
Trained at Pearcedale by Karen Pitt – who also teaches at Cranbourne East Primary School – Compliance is one of her favourites.
Mind you, the exceptionally bred Nov ’19 Black Magic Opal x Flowing dog does have a few peccadillos.
“He’s a shy, timid dog… He’s pretty quiet and quirky,” Pitt said. “However, you wouldn’t know it when he races.
“He’s also a lovely dog and is quite intelligent.”
Compliance is a young sprinting ‘student’ still learning his craft.
But he’s made a meteoric ‘graduation’ through the ranks in only four months. He commenced racing in mid-October last year and won five of his first six races.
On New Year’s Day, Compliance finished runner-up in the Group 1 Silver Chief at The Meadows.
Two weeks later, he finished second in a G1 National Derby heat at Wentworth Park in Sydney.
He’s only had 10 starts but already has six wins and two seconds, plus $56,500 in prizemoney, on his burgeoning CV.
The next ‘test’ for Compliance (Box 1) is Wednesday night’s $20,000 to-the-winner Group Listed Western Districts Derby (450m) – Race 8, 9.18pm – at Ballarat.
He meets a ‘scholarly’ field including G1 Melbourne Cup third placegetter and G2 Warragul Cup runner-up Kinson Bale (Box 2), G3 Speed Star finalist Paddy Wants Pats (Box 8) and first reserve Zara’s Ivan – a recent G1 National Derby finalist – replacing his kennelmate, G1 Silver Chief winner Zippy Tesla, which is a scratching.
Compliance won a heat in 25.10sec – around three lengths slower than fastest qualifier Paddy Wants Pats (24.93sec). Other heat winners were Decimate (25.09sec) and Mepunga Mustang (25.15sec) .
But Pitt has confidence in her canine ‘pupil’.
“He’s got speed, he’s promising and has exceeded expectations to date.
“Box one gives him a chance. He’s won two from two wearing the ‘red rug’, although they were relatively easy races.
“It’s been a great start to his career, and he couldn’t have done much more.”
And his future rivals should sit up and take notice as Pitt says, “he can only get better with maturity”.
Trainer Karen Pitt gives Compliance a well-earned drink after his G1 Silver Chief heat win.
“His best six months may be ahead. He should ‘toughen up’ and hopefully get a bit stronger.
“It’s all happened pretty quickly for him, but it would be nice if he could find a few lengths.”
Pitt totally respects Compliance’s opponents in the Derby, adding “it’s such a good race”.
“But you’d have to say if he gets a clear run, he’ll take a power of beating. However, Paddy Wants Pats was super impressive last week.”
Pawnote: Pitt and her partner, G1-winning trainer Wayne Vassallo, have a team of 12 greyhounds in work which she says, “is not an over-the-top operation”.
Compliance’s dam, Flowing, was a 2018 G2 Laurels finalist.
WATCH: Compliance (4) ‘conforms’ in a Western Districts Derby heat.
