Tommy Youngsters Clean Sweep Derby, Futurity

OFFSPRING of boom young sire Tommy Shelby have made a clean sweep of the Bogie Leigh Futurity (520m) and Sennachie Queensland Derby (520m) at Albion Park on Thursday night.

The group 2 winning double sees the former racetrack superstar launch his 2024 stud campaign the same way he finished 2023 – with a flurry of winners – in what was his first full season at stud.

Kicking off the memorable feature race double was the gritty victory in the Futurity by Daddy's Girl for WA trainer Kody Charles.

The Futurity Is Heading West!

The Kody Charles prepared Daddy's Girl used box 1 to her advantage to mow down local charge Kia Kaha by 1 1/2 lengths, with NSW raider Nangar Nellie gallant in third position.@RaceQLD @TheDogsWA @GRNSW_Official @SkyRacingAU @GerardDaffy pic.twitter.com/f8eTrAuJDb

— Brisbane Greyhounds (@BrisGreys) January 4, 2024

An eye-catching third in her heat, Daddy's Girl made full use of her box one draw in the $75,000-to-the-winner final to defeat early leader Kia Kaha and a fast finishing Nangar Nellie in 30.18 for the 520 metre journey.

The win extended Daddy's Girl's record to five wins from 13 starts and continued the remarkable run Kody Charles is enjoying on the group racing front, having landed the Group 1 National Sprint Championship at The Meadows with Saige Tenniele last August.

In the Derby, the race was over soon after box rise, with Victorian powerhouse Morton making a one act affair of the age restricted classic.

The Derby is off to The Big V!

The combination of Jason and Jessica Sharp have arrived and conquered an elite sprinting field with their star chaser Morton, who fired out of box 5 early and never gave his rivals a chance!@RaceQLD @SkyRacingAU @GerardDaffy pic.twitter.com/Dm6HQYk9zl

— Brisbane Greyhounds (@BrisGreys) January 4, 2024

Leading into the race all the talk was around the fact connections had knocked back a mammoth $200,000 offer for the Tommy Shelby youngster but trainers Jason and Jessica Sharp were quickly vindicated, collecting $75,000 for his Derby heroics.

Scoring in 29.65, the group 2 triumph was his 11th in 17 career starts and given the quality performance, he looms large for the Group 1 Gold Bullion which gets underway in a few week's time.