SPARKED The War came to Greta owner/trainer Garry Kedwell and his family under unfortunate circumstances but is starting to pay dividends.
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She won her heat of the Tara Greyhound Equipment Mixed series (340m) at Tamworth on Saturday and will start in tomorrow’s final.
“She’s a replacement dog,” Kedwell said.
“We bought a young pup out of Heart’s War, one of the best bitches in the country.
“She would be top 10 in Australia as a breeding bitch.
“But after five weeks the pup died.
“Steve Martin, the breeder in Queensland, offered to send us this bitch, who was 13 months old, as a replacement.”
Kay Jay Sharlah (Kevin Smith) was the quickest out of the boxes but Sparked The War came from the widest alley to vie for the lead at the turn.
There was some contact coming out of the turn but the bitch avoided most of the trouble to win it by three lengths from Riverlee Raider (Lloyd Metcalf) with Kay Jay Sharlah half a length back in third.
“It’s her fourth start and she was unlucky in the other three,” Kedwell said.
“She got a bit of a bump last time and she got a bump again today, but luckily she got through.
“Once she got into the straight she was always going to come over the top of them.
“She’s very quick at the end.”
But it wasn’t the quickest heat at 20.89 seconds.
The first heat winner, Cattle Boy, ran 20.56 and heat three winner Driven A Bentlee did it in 20.85.
But you have to be in it to win it and the Kedwell clan are keeping their fingers crossed.
They were there in numbers on Saturday and will be making the trip up the New England Highway again for the final.
“It’s a family affair,” Kedwell said.
“My two sons (Chris and Scott) take them out and do the catching.
“The whole family is here – my wife and the grandkids.
“Three car loads.”
Kedwell said it didn’t matter which box the bitch draws for the final and would have been happy with the three box after staring from the eight in last Saturday’s heat.
Tomorrow’s winner will receive $500 and a $100 voucher from the sponsors.
In fact all 10 races at Tamworth will be worth at least $500 to the winner with two other series finals, the Tamworth Scrap Metals 4th/5th Grade Final and the Kootingal Meats 4th/5th Grade Final, also on the program.