Warm Cockles Grabs Young Guns Limelight

VICTORIAN trainer Dave Burnett admits that back in February he was just about retired from greyhound racing.

Then a home-bred dog called Warm Cockles went to Geelong and trialled 22.20.

It was faster than the 22.27 the great Group 1 star Simon Told Helen, the superstar Dave took to stardom, had trialled at the track.

“All of a sudden I was back in greyhound racing,” said Dave.

Warm Cockles made his Albion Park debut on Thursday night with an all-the-way victory in 29.86 beating hot local Saanvi by almost three lengths in a heat of the Group 3 Young Guns (520m).

It was the quickest of the four Young Guns heats.

“He had not been on the track and had never been off the red so I wasn't sure how he would handle it,” said Dave.

“He shifted out a bit but his time was equal to what Simon Told Helen ran when he won a heat of the Brisbane Cup here a few years ago.

“So, that's a pretty good guide.

2024 Group 3 Brisbane Young Guns Heat 2 520m

1st: Warm Cockles (1)
2nd: Saanvi (2)
3rd: Inconspicuous (3)#QLDisRacing@RaceQLD @tabcomau @SkyRacingAU @gerarddaffy@MMcInallyPhotos @GRV_News pic.twitter.com/aUTQg4OHQK

— Brisbane Greyhounds (@BrisGreys) May 2, 2024

“To be fair to the dog, he had to lead to the first corner which he did.”

Dave bred the dog from his former handy bitch Ma's Plum Jam which is from the famed Mint Mojo direct damline.

He has a litter of 10 by Feral Franky from the bitch being reared and she is due to whelp a repeat Fernando Bale litter in three weeks.

Dave is looking to the future with his dog.

“He won a Group 3 Vic Breeders final in Melbourne and from then on he has been racing tough opposition and he is only young,” said Dave.

“I will consider bringing him back for the Flying Amy Classic in a few weeks, but that depends on what Mackenna does.

“And, what a Melbourne Cup prospect this dog will be later in the year.”

Other heats of the Young Guns went to, Sandra Hunt's Kahlo Hayze in 29.91 beating Super Scrub, Adam McIntosh's Golden Bear in 29.99 beating Kia Kaha, and Tony Brett's August Bob in 30.13 beating Danger Zone in what was a remarkable come-from-behind performance.