Classy Boy may not be a headline act, but his path to victory last Thursday evening is as compelling as any feature race winner.
Bred, owned and trained by Jenny Thorpe, Classy Boy came from last before holding off a fast finishing Ecehlonic Action to claim race 3 in 34.52. The win had Thorpe in tears as she collected her chaser from the catching pen.
“I’m so proud of him, he’s done so well,” said an emotional Thorpe straight after the win.
The emotion attached to his first city win was understandable given the series of setbacks that threatened to end the career of both greyhound and trainer.
Classy Boy, or ‘Chops’ as he’s known at home, made a promising start to his career. Breaking his maiden status at just his third start, he was placed in eight of his next 11 starts before luck turned against both greyhound and trainer.
“I got sick last year, I had a tumour in my neck so I gave him to Ray Shiells to train,” said Thorpe.
“Ray did a great job and Classy Boy had been racing well. He was finishing off his races strongly so we stepped him up to the 600m at the Meadows and he came out on his nose and nearly fell. Then we went to Horsham and he just didn’t run on. That’s when we found an injury to his back muscle,” continued Thorpe.
With her own health on the mend, Classy Boy returned to Thorpe’s Arthurs Creek kennels.
“I wanted to have him right for the Lady Trainers race at Sandown Park (the Judy Hayley Memorial) in February. I worked on him for 8 or 10 weeks, and once it came good I thought I’d take him for a run over the short at Ballarat. I figured that’ll be a nice hit out for him with the long straight but the lure pulled up a bit quick, he was going too hard and he ripped the other back muscle right out the bottom.”
While injuries of this nature are often career ending, Thorpe persevered with her kennel favourite and after seven months on the sidelines, Classy Boy returned to the track. And last Thursday night, Classy Boy – for the first time in 18 months – returned to his kennel a winner.
“It’s been a long journey,” continued Thorpe.
“He’s so honest and I’ve had a lot of fun with him. He’s run second 13 times in his career but this is just his third win. I’m just so delighted for the dog.”
Classy Boy registers an emotional win for his trainer Jenny Thorpe
