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  • Tuesday, 07 Mar, 2023,
  • by Gerard Guthrie

Salad Dodger’s Temora ‘Pearler’

Victorian visitor Salad Dodger upstaged newly-crowned NSW Greyhound of the Year She’s A Pearl with a record-breaking performance in Sunday night’s Group 3 Temora Cup heats (457m).

Salad Dodger and trainer Anthony Azzopardi combined for their second track record in 2023, with the son of Azzopardi’s 2019 Melbourne Cup hero Whiskey Riot having briefly held the Traralgon 450m record (24.48sec) in January.

Salad Dodger faced the unenviable task of tackling defending Temora Cup champion She’s A Pearl in the first of four heats of the $40,000 to-the-winner Cup held on Sunday night.

“It’s going to be hard to beat She’s A Pearl again this week, she’s boxed to perfection.”

Drawn in box six for his Temora debut, Salad Dodger started $6, with She’s A Pearl, the winner of five of her six starts at the track, all the rage at $1.33 from box seven.

Salad Dodger came out running to lead clearly and although the long odds-on favourite levelled up on his inside turning for home, the Victorian was in for the fight and kicked strongly to score by 1.25L, setting a new track record of 25.42sec.

Cawborne Marty set the previous record of 25.45sec in June, 2020.

“He went super,” Azzopardi said.

“She’s A Pearl had every chance to beat him and she’s a local, she was broken in at Temora, which shows you how good this dog is going.

WATCH: SALAD DODGER (B6) set a new Temora 457m record of 25.42sec when upsetting defending Temora Cup champion SHE’S A PEARL (B7) in Sunday night’s opening Cup heat.

“I trialled him at Temora over 300m two weeks ago and he went really good.

“I did give him a chance of beating She’s A Pearl. I wasn’t over-confident but I’m always a little bit confident with this dog because he tries so hard.

“He’s no Wow She’s Fast but he’s one of the hardest chasers I’ve ever had. He chases his absolute heart out.”

Salad Dodger has won 15 of his 39 starts and will be chasing a Group breakthrough at his fifth attempt in Sunday’s Cup Final, having run second in the G2 Bendigo Cup and G3 Warragul St. Leger, third in the G3 SA Derby and sixth in the G2 Traralgon Cup.

Azzopardi and She’s A Pearl have ‘history’ in the Temora Cup, with Azzopardi finishing runner-up with Subtle Art in last year’s final.

The former NSW trainer’s prospects of turning the tables on good friend Andy Lord and wife Jodie were dented when She’s A Pearl drew box two for Sunday night’s decider, with Salad Dodger to exit box five.

After drawing favourably, She’s A Pearl is again likely to start odds-on, currently heading betting at $1.90, with Salad Dodger the $4 second elect.

“It’s going to be hard to beat She’s A Pearl again this week, she’s boxed to perfection,” Azzopardi said.

“But Salad Dodger is actually favourably drawn in the middle. Five isn’t a bad box for him.

“It’s all about the start for us. I’m hoping Salad Dodger begins again, but it’s the same story for She’s A Pearl too, because it’s not an easy race.

“If the field goes straight, there’s not a dog in the race that will lead Salad Dodger.

“We ran second to She’s A Pearl in last year’s final with Subtle Art and won the Consolation with his sister, Caroline. Salad Dodger is a different dog. We’re 100 per cent a better chance than last year.

“It felt good to get one over on Andy (Lord). If we can do it again on Sunday, I’ll buy him a photo of the winner!”

Victorian-trained sprinters won two of the four Cup heats, with Paua Of Silence, trained by Steve White, who also prepared his three-time G1-winning sire Sennachie, scoring in 25.69sec.

After drawing box six, Paua Of Silence, winner of 13 from 27, sits on the third line of betting at $7.

Gerard GuthrieGerard Guthrie

Gerard Guthrie

One of Australia’s leading greyhound racing journalists since 2000 with the Greyhound Recorder and now with Greyhound Racing Victoria. Part-owner 2013 Group 1 Paws Of Thunder winner Sheikha. (The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of GRV)

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