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  • Wednesday, 19 Apr, 2023,
  • by Gerard Guthrie

Typhoon warning as ‘Sammy’ returns

Victoria’s reigning country cups ‘king’, Typhoon Sammy, will add enormous interest to Friday night’s Geelong Gold Cup meeting when he makes a surprise return from retirement.

Making Typhoon Sammy’s shock comeback even more enticing, Jason Thompson’s three-time country cup winner will match motors with another provincial superstar in Ferdinand Boy in race 5 over 400m.

Last year, Typhoon Sammy, brilliant winner of 43 of his 71 starts, banked a $50,000 bonus for winning three country cups in a calendar year (Bendigo, Horsham and Traralgon), while Ferdinand Boy achieved the same feat in 2021 (Ballarat, Shepparton and Healesville).

“He’s only had four trials, but his trials are very close to what he was running pre-injury.”

Making his first appearance since contesting the G2 Warragul Cup heats on January 6, the day he celebrated his fourth birthday, Typhoon Sammy has drawn box one for his return, from where he boasts an imposing 10 from 12 career record.

“He tore a stomach muscle, and we retired him,” Jason Thompson explained.

“We didn’t think he’d race again and we had him at stud, but he had issues with his semen.

“As it turned out, he probably needed the three months off – a complete break – for the injury to heal. I kept him in work – all the stud dogs stay in work to keep them occupied – and after speaking to my vet, I said to ‘Darty’ (owner John Dart) that we might as well give him a run behind the lure and see how he goes.

“He’s only had four trials, but his trials are very close to what he was running pre-injury.

WATCH: “He makes it three!” TYPHOON SAMMY (B3) secured a $50,000 country cups bonus with a brilliant victory in the G2 Bendigo Cup Final (425m) on October 14 last year.

“He’s obviously going in underdone, but at more than four years old, he might as well kick off in a race.

“I’m not saying he can’t win. If he wasn’t up to racing, he wouldn’t be there.

“We want to see him run well – and I’m sure he will. But at his first run back, after a significant injury, we just want him to get around safely and pull up well. He’s only going to improve and hopefully he can get back to where he was.

“We’re rapt to see him back!”

Also on Geelong Cup night, Thompson has the first reserve for the Gold Cup Final in Stealth, which will exit box three in the $11,500 Gary Brett Memorial Match Race (race 4) against Make No Promise, if he doesn’t secure a late call-up for the main event.

“He’s a bit stiff not to be in the Cup; he only missed out by a hundredth of a second,” Thompson said.

“He’s not the strongest 500m dog going around, but the inside track at Geelong is leader-dominated and you’ve got to get to the rail and that really suits Stealth.”

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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