Father And Son's Two-Pronged Nationals Attack

FATHER and son Brendan and Blake Pursell will have a two-pronged attack on the Nationals at Wentworth Park and both rate their chances highly.

David Brasch12 August 2022

FATHER and son Brendan and Blake Pursell will have a two-pronged attack on the Group 1 Nationals at Wentworth Park on August 27 and both rate their chances highly.

Mcinerney gave Blake and his partner Kayla their greatest achievement in the few short years they have been in the industry full time when he swept his way into the final with victory at Launceston in the state finale.

Then Blake's dad Brendan landed Moraine Suzie into the Distance final when she stormed away from a slick field at Sandown to win the Victorian final.

Moraine Suzie ran them into the ground and she's booked her trip to Sydney ??

What a performance! She stops the clock at a lightning-quick 41.46s pic.twitter.com/HhGmGXB60u

— Sandown Greyhounds (@sandowndogs) August 11, 2022

“Kayla and I were so nervous,” admitted Blake. “Kayla normally handles Mcinerney but she chose to catch him on Thursday night.

“The fact he was so short ($1.45) to get into the Group 1 really put the pressure on us.

“We've been in a couple of Hobart 1000s, a couple of Launceston Cups and a Devonport Classic but we really felt the pressure.”

Mcinerney came to Tassie months ago for a confidence boost sent over by breeder-owner Noel Mugavin and Blake's dad Brendan who formerly trained the dog.

“Noel is a wonderful owner who breeds a fabulous pup,” said Blake. “We've got four of his dogs in our kennels.”

Blake, a builder, has been training for five years, the past three and a half full time. He and Kayla, a vet nurse, have 19 dogs in training.

But that won't stop them flying to Sydney for the National final.

“Kayla is particularly excited about going to the final,” said Blake.

Mcinerney will head back to Victoria and he and Moraine Suzie will be taken by Brendan to Wentworth Park for a trial on the track on Wednesday before the local race meeting.

“It is a lot easier for dad to drive both dogs to Sydney rather than for me to put him on two flights to get there,” said Blake.

Brendan was enthused about the chances of Moraine Suzie, the daughter of My Redeemer most improved young stayer in the land.

“She has improved so much since she got up in distance,” said Brendan. “And, there is more improvement to come.

“She's drawn the seven in the final and she would rather be over near the fence.

“But, I can't fault her and I have to say every run I have given her she has raced well, even over 500 metres.

“She's never put a foot wrong.”

He said the bitch would head straight back to Sydney after the Nationals with the Group 2 $100,000-to-the-winner Sydney Cup her mission.

QUEENSLAND'S Sprint hope Magical Cyndie pulled up with a hip injury after her $51 upset win in that state's win and has been given a seven-day stand down.

But Travis Elson, whose mother Cyndie trains the bitch, said it was likely he would take her to Sydney for the Sprint final and also take the state final's runner-up Hope's King.

“Cyndie would not need a run on the track,” said Travis. “She has blistering early pace but struggles that last 30 metres.

“There is no doubt she will be in front early. She has led in 99 percent of her starts in her career.”

Travis said a shortage of nominations was the only reason he ran Hope's King in the series. He will take Hope's King to Sydney as well for an Open Masters event on the same program.

TOM Dailly's Dusty Bourbski ran a quick 29.24 to win the Victorian Sprint final.

Dusty Bourbski just continues to go to another level ??

He manages to hold out Photo Man and punches his ticket to the National Sprint Final!

The Dailly's get their second dog through to a Final… Zippy Tesla can also advance if Good Odds Cash wins the NSW Final (Wildcard) pic.twitter.com/pcMjIM79b9

— Sandown Greyhounds (@sandowndogs) August 11, 2022

WARREN Nicholls' Days Of Thunder, the top stayer in Queensland, landed that state's Distance final in 41.99.

DAVE Croswell's Highland Wonder scored a half length win in the Tassie Distance final.

SOUTH Australia's state finals went to Oswald Chegia's Fantastic Radley in 42.63 in the distance confirming his fantastic run of form, while classy Fly For Trix bounced back to his best in the Sprint for Jane Mcnicholl in 30.59.

OVER in Perth, Adam Smithson produced $1.60 favourite Tsar Bell to win the Distance in 42.16, and Christine Robartson's Throttle got up in the last stride to win the Sprint in 29.60.