Fernando Bale – arguably the greatest greyhound of all time – has been retired.
In a career that spanned little more than 12 months, Fernando Bale won 35 of his 44 starts including a record eight group 1s and $1,299,370 in prize money. He holds split records at Sandown, the Meadows and Wentworth Park, as well as track records at Traralgon and Bendigo.
He won 11 group races during his career, remarkably winning a feature from every box.
Not only were his deeds on the track unprecedented, he was extremely popular being profiled on channel 9 and the Herald Sun and across social media.
Click here to read Mick Floyd’s tribute to Fernando Bale
His popularity extended around the world, with his Facebook page attracting fans from across Australia and New Zealand, as well as England, Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, India and Pakistan among others, and with Fernando Bale (#FlyingFernando) regularly trending on Twitter.
He is one of a small group of greyhounds that transcended the code, attracting interest from people who wouldn’t normally consider themselves greyhound racing fans, and brought those fans to the track in huge numbers whenever he raced.
Fittingly, he won his final race at Sandown Park (his eighth career win at the venue) where he won a group 1 and group 3, and finished second to his kennelmate Dyna Double One in the world’s richest greyhound race, the TAB Melbourne Cup. He is one of only two greyhounds to have broken 29 seconds at the circuit, and has four of the 18 fastest times ever recorded at the circuit.
He has been retired at the tender age of 33 months after picking up a slight back injury during his last, run and will soon commence stud duties at Meticulous Lodge in Devon Meadows.
The Sandown Greyhound Racing Club extends its congratulations to owner Paul Wheeler and trainer Andrea Dailly and her team on the success they’ve had with Fernando Bale, and thanks all involved for their support in promoting him to an appreciative public.
Fernando Bale, by the numbers:
Fernando Bale
Breeding: Kelso’s Fuslieer x Chloe Allen
Whelped: 12/3/13
Owner/breeder: Paul Wheeler
Trainer: Andrea Dailly
Debut: 3/12/14 (4th at The Meadows)
Maiden win: 24/12/14 (at The Meadows, third career start)
Starts: 44
Record: 35-3-2
Prize money: $1,299,370
Average prize money per start: $29,531
Group race finals: 11
WON Group 1 Harrison-Dawson (Sandown Park)
WON Group 1 Topgun (The Meadows)
WON Group 1 Golden Easter Egg (Wentworth Park)
WON Group 1 Adelaide Cup (Angle Park)
WON Group 1 National Sprint Championship (Wentworth Park)
WON Group 1 Maturity (The Meadows)
WON Group 1 National Derby (Wentworth Park)
WON Group 1 Peter Mosman (Wentworth Park)
WON Group 2 Traralgon Cup
WON Group 2 Bendigo Cup
WON Group 3 Bill Collins
2nd Group 1 TAB Melbourne Cup
Tracks raced at: 8 (and won at all 8)
Biggest win: 11.25 lengths
Smallest win: Neck
Average winning margin: 5.32 lengths
Best of Night wins: 29
Average starting price: $1.87
Started odds on: 31 (including his last 22 starts at an average staring price of $1.27)
Started favourite: 41 (including his last 30 starts)
Longest price: $7.60
Shortest price: $1.04 (a TAB record)
Longest winning streak: 16
Box record:
|
Box |
Starts |
Wins |
% |
|
1 |
7 |
6 |
85.7 |
|
2 |
5 |
4 |
80.0 |
|
3 |
9 |
6 |
66.7 |
|
4 |
4 |
4 |
100.0 |
|
5 |
6 |
6 |
100.0 |
|
6 |
8 |
6 |
75.0 |
|
7 |
4 |
2 |
50.0 |
|
8 |
1 |
1 |
100.0 |
| TOTAL |
44 |
35 |
79.5 |
Fernando Bale powers around Sandown Park to win the group 1 Harrison-Dawson
