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In those days the Iowa tracks weren't very competitive, probably in the bottom quarter of some 60 tracks. There wasn't much prize money and the dogs that couldn't make it elsewhere ran there.
Today Bluffs and Dubuque are Top-6 tracks and money for the top Iowa-bred stakes is $400,000 and $200,000 respectively. If Avatar does the double it will be 10 times the accomplishment of Down To.
Kevin Wright Australia (Verified User) Posts 5708 Dogs 1 / Races 1 03 Nov 2013 00:08
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What a huge effort to go back to back in $500,000 Bluffs Run Iowa Breeders Classic..
SH AVATAR.... IS THE BEST DOG RACING IN THE USA TODAY
BOC's kennels had 5 in the final?? Is this common?
Christopher Grieb USA (Team Member) Posts 188 Dogs 179 / Races 458 03 Nov 2013 02:13
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I've had 4 in a Final several times, but, never 5. Brad is one of our better breeders... and a heckuva nice guy.
Sean O'Donnell Australia (Verified User) Posts 4262 Dogs 64 / Races 54 03 Nov 2013 03:04
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Doug Riches wrote:
A big Congrats to SH AVATAR, and all his conections. Way to go guys, Winning 4 out out 5 and the main final, in Avatar style . :)
Very strong win he was simply pulling away at the end as well had to work early too. I like his blood lines as well.
Sandro Bechini Australia (Verified User) Posts 19477 Dogs 15266 / Races 1860 03 Nov 2013 03:05
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Sean O'Donnell wrote:
Doug Riches wrote:
A big Congrats to SH AVATAR, and all his conections. Way to go guys, Winning 4 out out 5 and the main final, in Avatar style . :)
Very strong win he was simply pulling away at the end as well had to work early too. I like his blood lines as well.
Was very strong but ran very wide in the home straight.
Sean O'Donnell Australia (Verified User) Posts 4262 Dogs 64 / Races 54 03 Nov 2013 07:34
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Sandro Bechini wrote:
Sean O'Donnell wrote:
Doug Riches wrote:
A big Congrats to SH AVATAR, and all his conections. Way to go guys, Winning 4 out out 5 and the main final, in Avatar style . :)
Very strong win he was simply pulling away at the end as well had to work early too. I like his blood lines as well.
Was very strong but ran very wide in the home straight.
I think you will find that racing off the rail when hitting the straight happens even with other talented greyhounds, watch bella infared race replays he does it as well.
Kinloch brae hugs the rails.
Maybe our American counterparts can explain these racing traits and if it affects performance (from what I can see with two freaks it makes no difference)
Sandro Bechini Australia (Verified User) Posts 19477 Dogs 15266 / Races 1860 03 Nov 2013 07:56
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True
Sometimes they are finishing that hard that they come off the corner and can't take the camber.
Maybe that is the case as he came to the home corner full of running.
A lot of fast dogs run the tight tracks in an elliptical fashion, which SH Avatar seems to do. National Lass was very similar.
However, I have also seen plenty of champion greyhounds over the last 42 years in the sport that have hugged the rail pretty hard all the way
Sean O'Donnell Australia (Verified User) Posts 4262 Dogs 64 / Races 54 03 Nov 2013 08:49
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I guess it may be more relevant here as the need to rail hard is sometimes vital and sometimes its a greyhounds downfall here (rail crashers be it super quick rail crashers can be heart breakin).
even in Ireland where the races are run in a completely different manner it doesn't seem to affect the time of group class greyhounds to race wide on occasions.
imagine if avatar or infared hugged the rail they'd most likely shave even more time off which would have them running even more ridiculously quick times.
yahoo omar can race wide at times as would I say a lot of top greyhounds in the US, that's why id say it may be a relivant question for our American counterparts to answer for us.
Dennis McKeon (Verified User) Posts 355 Dogs 0 / Races 0 03 Nov 2013 11:13
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Every dog has a preferred line. Avatar is a lot like his close relative Paddy Whacker. They like to begin from an outside box and to drift out on the straights and to switch leads at the top of the bank where the turn begins. On most American tracks, which are usually much deeper and more tiring than tracks in AUS or IRE, the going is usually faster as you move outwards from the rail. And some dogs just don't like having dogs to their outside.
IMO, these dogs learn how to pull energy out of the turn, by drifting down on the turns, and pulling back out to a straight. I have seen a lot of different tracks, and many are using just a little different equipment to maintain them. These tractors have huge rear wheels, and when they go around the weight creates wheel paths. These dogs learn where the energy is. Not all tracks use the same equipment, some have larger tires then others. Weather conditions, along with different temps, and wind will determine some of the track condition, as well different sand. Some of these tracks will favor rail runners, at a certain time of the year, as well mid to out side at different times of the year. Dogs like the ones mentioned in here , have track sense, and know where it feels more comfortable, to grab their grip.
Martin Roper USA (Team Member) Posts 1593 Dogs 7212 / Races 10370 03 Nov 2013 14:29
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Watch any auto race and they go wide in, hit the apex, and go wide out. It's the longest way through a turn, but the fastest. Extruding Dream and Trent Lee both did this.
Remember that U.S. tracks, even Southland, have a much tighter radius of turn than Aussie tracks. The dogs have to slow down for the turns or they'd end up flying the turn. I watched the Aussie dog Incision at Derby Lane and he never quite figured that out.
Wide in, apex, wide out allows a dog to keep a higher pace through the turn, but more importantly, increases exit speed from the turn which means he doesn't have to accelerate as much to get back up to top speed down the straight. Accelerating is the most exhausting part of racing and a wider radius is the most efficient way around.
Sean O'Donnell Australia (Verified User) Posts 4262 Dogs 64 / Races 54 03 Nov 2013 16:45
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Thanks for your responses martin, Dennis & Doug.
It makes a lot of sense what you are saying as countless top liners I have watched racing in America race in and out and their racing styles "visually" look very different that ours.
where even my comment of if certain dogs railed hard it would allow them to improve their times even more seems now a redundant statement now.
I watched Avatars win in the breeders final and he seemed to dismantle that field and tear it apart. Impressive to watch greyhounds perform like that what ever country they are from.
Tony Gallagher Australia (Team Member) Posts 5905 Dogs 12928 / Races 40210 14 Aug 2014 08:37
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Michael de Ward wrote:
I see this boy is soon going to be available here in Ireland, will his Flying Penske/Molotov(2 legends) breeding appeal to many??