Ipswich Marvel: Spring Rock 37 And Counting

AS Spring Rock continues to stretch his claim to fame as Ipswich's “winningest” greyhound, his litter sister Spring Cleo has run her last race.

Bred and owned by the Board family, Rock and Cleo, by Fernando Bale-Derenger, boast incredible race careers.

On Thursday night, Spring Rock won the Ipswich Sprint after having been runner-up in the previous two years.

It took his record to 106 starts for 37 wins, 21 seconds and 17 thirds for $83,000.

Spring Cleo retires after 120 starts for 32 wins, 16 seconds and 16 thirds for stakes of $80,000.

What is even more amazing is that Spring Rock has never raced at any track other than Ipswich in his 106 starts.

Ipswich Thur Nov 10 2022
Race 6, 2022 Ipswich Sprint Final. 431m
1st – Box 2 Spring Rock – Pauline Byers
2nd – Box 8 Springview Magic – Eric Conroy
3rd – Box 3 Ferocity – Nicole Connell
25.16 (13.48 – 11.68) 4 1/4 x 1/2 pic.twitter.com/ZcGOYqfocB

— John Brasch (@Bunny_Brasch) November 10, 2022

And, all but one of Spring Cleo's 32 wins have come at Ipswich.

The pair are prepared in Toowoomba by Pauline Byers and her son Shane.

Scott Board said today Spring Cleo would head home to his property at Orange where she would be let down for a breeding career.

“But Spring Rock just loves racing and he will keep going with Pauline and Shane as long as he wants to,” said Scott.

“Shane Byers is a mad Queensland rugby league fan and I am always ribbing him that Spring Rock is more popular in Ipswich now than Alfie Langer.”

Spring Rock is a marvel.

He races at 26.7 kilos.

He and his sister have been Ipswich greyhounds of the year in the past two years.

Pauline Byers, and her late husband Col, have dominated the Ipswich trainer's premiership for years, and the Board family does the same with the owners' title.

“Spring Rock just loves to race,” said Scott.

“Shane tells me while the race preview is being conducted, Spring Rock will stand in the kennels at Ipswich and watch the races on the TV.

“He's a real personality.”

Board points to the success of the Fernando Bale-Derenger litter.

]It includes nine named offspring and eight of those have been winners. Six of those are prolific.

“Gee, it has been a good litter,” said Scott. “They are all only sprinters, but they have knocked up winning races and earning prizemoney.”