Coursing in Victoria celebrated its 150^th anniversary this season, highlighted by the sesquicentennial Waterloo Cup at Lang Lang.

And what a climax to coursing’s ‘holy grail’ it was on Sunday.

It was down to ‘serious’ business and Funny Old Fellow had his rivals “in all manner of strife” taking out the $15,900 winner’s purse.

His trainer, NCAV president and coursing stalwart Peter Craig, “leads a very exciting life” in coursing and now has back-to-back Waterloo Cups. He saluted with He’s No Slouch – a litter brother of megastar Wow She’s Fast – last year.

Funny Old Fellow defeated Victorian Derby and Silvester Doyle Puppy Championship winner Swinton, trained by Dallas Massina, in a thrilling final.

Owned by the ‘Amstel’ syndicate – comprising Craig, Nathan Tracy and Leigh Jennings– Funny Old Fellow has only had six coursing outings including being a defeated semi-finalist in the Silvester Doyle Puppy Championship.

The 150th running of Victoria’s oldest greyhound race, the Waterloo Cup, was held at Lang Lang on 27 August with FUNNY OLD FELLOW (Peter Craig) defeating SWINTON (Dallas Massina) in a thriller.

“It was a pretty special moment, particularly being the 150^th Waterloo Cup.”

Funny Old Fellow (Apr ’21 Aston Kimetto x Popowski) has contested 27 ‘circle’ starts for seven wins, four seconds and four thirds. He was a finalist in last month’s Listed The Prospector at Bendigo.

His dam, Popowski, was relatively unsuccessful in coursing ranks but won 12 races (with 11 seconds and seven thirds) from 105 starts on the circle.

“It was a pretty special moment, particularly being the 150^th Waterloo Cup,” Craig said.

“Funny Old Fellow’s overall coursing and circle times are quicker than He’s No Slouch, but I wasn’t sure his racing style would be as suited to coursing as he doesn’t quite have the early pace.

“I always thought He’s No Slouch was my No. 1 seed, but he’s off the racing scene due to injury.

“Funny Old Fellow is a very determined and strong-willed dog in everything he does. And it was also his strength that told out in the final.”

Craig quipped that he was thinking of renaming Funny Old Fellow – aka “Humphrey” – after his first half a dozen starts.

“He was getting ‘in all manner of strife’, but now he’s into the second phase of the Humphrey B Bear theme song and ‘leads a very exciting life’.

“All being well, his next assignment will be the Warragul St Leger series.”

However, Craig is not so optimistic on the racing future of He’s No Slouch.

“He dropped a back muscle in the Ray Boundy Memorial and there’s a fair bit of scar tissue. But it’s still too premature to say he’ll come back to racing.”