National Coursing Association of Victoria president Peter Craig will be striving for his second Waterloo Cup when He’s No Slouch goes to the ‘slips’ at Lang Lang on Sunday.
Craig won coursing’s ‘Holy Grail’ with Full Of Grace in 2014.
He’s No Slouch won his first three rounds on Day One of the time-honoured event (now into its 149th year) last week and is into the quarter-finals. But with a ‘natural’ Bye, he’s effectively reached the semi-finals on Day Two.
Ironically, He’s No Slouch has quickly earned a “wow he’s fast” reputation among the coursing fraternity.
Quite apt, considering his litter sister – Wow She’s Fast – is arguably Australia’s No. 1 sprinter.
Taking pedigree one step further, their dam Fair Of Face is a half-sister of Full Of Grace – and all were bred by Craig.
And the dam of Fair Of Face and Full Of Grace is Catch Up Sunday (you couldn’t conjure a better coursing-related sobriquet).
Craig is hoping He’s No Slouch ultimately ‘hangs his hat’ (no pun intended) on the Waterloo Cup’s $15,000 first prize.
A Group 1 Maturity Classic finalist on the ‘circle’, He’s No Slouch has made a dramatic entrance onto the coursing stage.
He defeated Extreme Force in a Maiden Dog Stake at Longwood on May 15 prior to accounting for ‘coursing queen’ Kasemi in the Werribee Cup at Lang Lang on June 26.
“I knew he had some speed and the potential to be a top courser after he trialled two-hundredths of a second off the Lang Lang track record (16.28sec) held by dual Waterloo Cup winner Better Than This (2016 & 2017),” Craig said.
“But you never know how they’ll go backing up with three runs in a day… He’s pretty excitable, while Full Of Grace was cool, calm and collected.”
Craig advised He’s No Slouch had come through the ‘preliminaries’ well.
“He’s a sound dog, and a competitive beast, but he’s got one and a half lengths to make up on his semi-final rival Rothwell Chunk.
“And although he’s a sibling of Wow She’s Fast, you don’t win races on breeding and reputation.
“But the Waterloo Cup was always on his agenda. I entered him for the Maiden and Open races to see how he’d measure up.”
A coursing devotee, Craig recalls the first time he attended a coursing meeting was a three-day Waterloo Cup event in 1980, which was ‘divided’ between Rambler and Abrupt.
Craig adds what he loves about coursing is “spending a day with the dogs”.
“And they improve once they go coursing. It has certainly smartened up He’s No Slouch.
HE’S NO SLOUCH (Peter Craig) defeated ALICE MORGAN (Les Weeks) in the third round of the 2022 Waterloo Cup at Lang Lang last Sunday.
“After he took out his Maiden at Longwood, he came out and won a GRV Vic Bred Series final at Shepparton. And following his Werribee Cup win at Lang Lang, he made the Maturity final.
“Another thing with coursing is they go back to the car or trailer to rest after a course. And that seems to make them more relaxed in the kennels on race day at circle tracks.
“I also use the Lang Lang facilities a lot as they’re in excellent condition and very safe.”
Craig says working full-time was the catalyst behind his coursing involvement.
“I couldn’t get to race meetings at night, but I could go coursing on a Sunday. So, I’d pack the family into the car and stop off at a Macca’s along the way.
“The first time I coursed was at Penshurst in the early 1990s… And I’ve since discovered you don’t need a circle-track ‘superstar’ to win a major coursing race.”
