By Brennan Ryan
Victorian trainer Matt Lanigan loves nothing more than chasing group races across the country, but the Group 1 Hobart Thousand (461m) and Tasmania will always hold a special place in his heart.
Nine years ago, Matt claimed his first Group 1 victory in the prestigious Hobart Thousand (461m) with Zipping Bruiser in 2016, thanks to the support of his Invermay-based friends, Ian and Eileen Thomas.
Fast forward to this Thursday night, where the winning combination will present the promising youngster Canya Speed, set to jump from box 7 in the $100,000-to-the-winner finale in Hobart.
The brindle son of Wow and Zipping Cia secured his spot in his first Group 1 feature with a brilliant 25.75 heat win last week.
“He was fantastic last week, and the draw couldn’t have been better,” trainer Matt Lanigan said about Canya Speed.
“The dog is in great hands with Ian and Eileen. We’ve been sending dogs to them since Zipping Bruiser, and I’m on the phone with them probably twice a week. They’ve also trained several other dogs for us over the years.
“They treat the dog like a member of the family and I’m lucky to have such a connection”
Canya Speed, with 7 wins from 22 starts, steps into group race company for the first time after a Geelong victory over 460 metres in 25.64, a performance that convinced Matt he could be a genuine contender.
Matt bought Canya Speed from Toby and Jess Weekes, with a few owners who had raced Canya Amy also getting involved.
“Pre-training wise, the dog wasn’t setting the house on fire,” Matt said.
“Ever since we started his racing career, he’s really embraced the competitive side of it. He’s up against older and more experienced rivals on Thursday, so making it to a Group 1 is pretty special for such a young dog.
“So far, he’s been ticking all the right boxes for me, and I hope he keeps getting better.”
Winning your first Group 1 in any code is a big deal, and for Matt, with the help of his father Gerald, it’s been a long road since 2016 as they’ve kept making great progress in training greyhounds, with their sights set on another shot at Group 1 glory.
“I love racing in Tassie, the people are always friendly to us,” Matt said.
“The box draw for the final has made it interesting, every dog has its chance. As we know you need some luck in these big races, we’ll need the luck to fall our way on the night that’s for sure.
“Winning the race in 2016 was an incredible night with everyone there, and making the final again feels pretty special.”
