Major win for Billy Blue

Back Page again failed to deliver at Thabeban Park, running in third behind Rules The Roost and winner Major Billy Blue ($2.50).

The William Elsen-trained dog ran in the fastest time of the day (26.56sec) and justified its tag as the favourite heading into the Best Eight feature race, winning by 4.5 lengths.

The 460m race proved too much for Rules The Roost, run down after streaking to an early lead.

Ruckus was upstaged by the unlikely Carly Bale ($7.50) in the race nine fourth and fifth grade 550m.

The Broken Hill flyer won by three lengths from Ruckus, with Another Level a further 2.75 lengths back.

Another to impress was All About Foxy. The favourite was always expected to win, but not in such devastating fashion.

It ran 27.19sec and beat Coyote Chris by more than three lengths, surging away from the jump and not looking back.

“It was very impressive, we knew it would be hard to beat but did not think it would run so well,” Bundaberg Greyhound Club president Brian Terry said.

In the good news story for the day, veteran trainer Allen Martin proved that persistence paid off when Cobar Sweetheart ($8) ran home first in race two.

After 11 starts it was never expected to feature, but it romped home three lengths in front of Cobar Sweetheart in a tick more than 27.5sec.

In the next race its brother, Cobar Charlie, ($2.20) also tasted success in the novice 460m.

“He’s been training dogs for 40-odd years,” Terry said.

“Most trainers would have given up on a dog after 11 poor starts, but he kept with her (Cobar Sweetheart) and it’s come through.”

“He does things the old-fashioned way and is still training winners, it’s great to see.”

In race one Monsieur Noir ($3.30) won the Maiden 460m from Brodie’s Breed and Poittler.

Jerry Can Cap ($4) was too fast in the race four novice, Wild Cinders ($12) upset Flipperty Jig in the fifth grade 550m and Oh Danny Boy ($3.10) smashed the field by 5.5 lengths in race eight.