Shadale’s second TAB Melbourne Cup campaign is testament to both greyhound and his 69 year old trainer Jim Redenbach.
Twelve months ago, Shadale entered the TAB Melbourne Cup series as one of the form greyhounds in the country having won 13 of 26 starts. After running second to Chasin’ Crackers in his TAB Melbourne Cup heat (who would go on to run second in the final), Shadale defeated Extreme Magic in the group 3 Sir John Dillon Memorial over 595m on Cup night and contested the Shootout on New Year’s Day. A five-time group race finalist before his third birthday, Shadale’s blossoming career came to sudden halt after picking up a career threatening back muscle injury in a heat of the Traralgon Cup.
For Geoff Lance and his fellow owners Stephen Czerny, Peter Whitehand and Bill Schutt – all of whom travel to the track for each of Shadale’s runs – it was an emotional time for all involved.
“The night he broke down we had four owners and a trainer break down crying in the Traralgon car park because he is such a lovely dog and we are very attached to him, but he’s come back well and to make the Melbourne Cup heats is marvellous thing,” Lance told RSN – Racing and Sport’s Winners.
“Thanks to Jimmy – the ‘dog whisperer’ – we got him back and we’re very, very proud to have him in the heats on Friday night.”
Given the initial prognosis, that Shadale returned to the track at all was remarkable effort. To go on contest two group 1 finals, run second is a Speed Star and qualify for a second tilt at the world’s greatest greyhound is testament to the amazing work by Redenbach.
“The amount of time he put into Shadale when he broke down – he was taking him down to the beach each day, putting him through the salt water, he had vibrating machines and laser machines and he rang me up one day and he said to me I think we’ll bring him out of retirement. I couldn’t believe it.
“He’s one of the best around. He’s not just a dog trainer but a dog lover. He just loves the dogs, I ask him questions like what are the plans with the dogs and he just says to me ‘the dog will tell me’. He lives, eats and sleeps his greyhounds.
“For the work Jimmy’s done he deserves high accolades.”
Tab.com.au has rated Shadale a $13 chance in his heat tomorrow night, and while he will need a bit of luck against some of the fastest chasers in the country, punters can be assured that Shadale will be fit and ready to give 100%.
“Jimmy will make sure of that!
“He’s a dog who needs a lot of luck because he gets back a little bit and runs off at the first turn. He’s always going to give them a start but he is a very, very good dog and we’re just hoping he gets a good run in the heat.”
TAB Melbourne Cup heats night is widely regarded as the best night of greyhound racing on the calendar, featuring the country’s best sprinters and stayers contesting eight heats of the TAB Melbourne Cup and four heats of the Bold Trease.
The winner of each Cup heat will progress to the TAB Melbourne Cup final on Friday 23 November.
Visit www.superdogs.com.au for further information about the TAB Melbourne Cup carnival.
Click here for the full fields and form guide for Friday night’s TAB Melbourne Cup heats
Click here for the fixed odds market for each of Friday’s TAB Melbourne Cup and Bold Trease heats
Click here for the latest TAB Melbourne Cup all-in markets from tab.com.au
Shadale’s Tale – Jim Redenbach talks about Shadale ahead of the 2017 TAB Melbourne Cup series
