One of greyhound racing’s most durable campaigners, Bruce Tycoon, has been retired.
Bruce Tycoon’s career began on 19 December 2014 – 1163 days ago – and saw him greet the starter 130 starts for 36 wins, 39 minor places and $271,765 in prize money.
“He’s been a great dog, a wonderful dog,” said his trainer Robert Britton.
“I wanted to keep him going because he’s as healthy as healthy, but he’s not quite striding out like he can. I could easily say we’ll work through it and keep him going, but he has a home to go to and couch waiting for him so it’s probably a good time to do it.”
Bruce Tycoon won his maiden at Sandown Park on 1 February 2015, beginning a remarkable record at the track that saw him record 19 wins and 18 placings from 61 career starts. He registered his final career victory in a Free For All on 21 December 2017 at the grand age of four and half years.
To put the longevity of his career into context, the greyhound that beat him on his race debut was Linco Bale, a litter brother to the great Fernando Bale. Three of Fernando Bale’s sons lined up against Bruce Tycoon in his final start on Saturday night, and just one of his rivals was born when Bruce Tycoon won his maiden.
As well as natural good health, Britton puts Bruce Tycoon’s remarkable longevity down to his relaxed temperament, race smarts a love of racing.
“He’s always got a shine in his coat and I find that with a lot of good dogs that race a long time, they don’t stress. Fanta Bale is exactly the same.
“He’s been injury free other than a couple of small things and he doesn’t get into a lot of trouble, he knows how to get through a field. If he misses the start he’ll sit and wait on the bends and rail through whereas some dogs will try and barge through and get hurt. I’m certain at times he wasn’t the best dog in the race, but he would eye ball them and they’d just give in.”
Bruce Tycoon’s biggest victory came in the 2016 McKenna Memorial where he defeated Dundee Osprey to claim the group 2 title. It was one of five group finals he contested during his career that saw him compete consistently in the sport’s highest grades. Indeed, it is two years to the day since Bruce Tycoon contested a grade 5 event.
“He could run at a high level week in and week out and the pressure would never get to him. He’s as tough as nails.”
Bruce Tycoon
Cosmic Rumble x New Year’s Punch
Breeder: Charlie Micallef
Owner: Odds and Evens Syndicate (Gary Micallef)
Trainer: Robert Britton
Record: 130 starts 36-24-15
Prize money: $271,765
Bruce Tycoon defeats a high class field in a heat of the 2017 National Sprint Championship – at 50 months of age
