Caption: Sandro Bechini’s emerging staying star Valpolicella, trained by Tony Zammit, is being aimed at the Group 2 Sydney Cup. (Photo: Box 1 Photography)

By Pat McLeod

Western Sydney accountant Sandro Bechini knew very early that his calculated formula to fulfil a lifelong dream and breed a group one class stayer was coming to fruition.

“From Valpolicella’s very first run I knew she would stay, but none of us knew just how good she could be,” he said.

Bechini, 62, has been fascinated with greyhound racing since his father, a bookmaker, took him to the Harold Park dogs when he was just eight years old.

Through the following decades he has been in and out of the sport, but one specific desire has remained – to own a quality stayer.

On Thursday night, his ‘dream dog’, Valpolicella, trained in south-east Queensland by master mentor Tony Zammit, continues her steady climb towards the heady heights Bechini is hoping for.

This time it is a 710m Free For All at Albion Park. But just around the corner is Bechini’s wish-come-true moment.

Zammit is planning to take the young stayer to Sydney for a 720m race as early as next week and then an assault on the Group 2 Sydney Cup (heats October 6; final October 13).

Most in the industry would not be surprised by Zammit’s plan. Valpolicella has been a racing revelation.

The Shima Shine – Saldana chaser had a solid 520m career before the patient Zammit gradually moved her up in distance.

She won four and placed three times over 600m/630m at Albion Park and Ipswich, but then at 720m she has been simply outstanding – four wins from four starts and each win has oozed class.

Bechini says the Valpolicella experience to date has been ‘surreal’, but reveals that he knew from the dog’s very first start his hopes were being realized.

“Her first run was at Ipswich in a heat of the Vince Curry Maiden,” he recalls.

“Jeff Crawford, who I know well, had a good pup (Steel Gunn) in that race.

“We spoke about both of our dogs before the race and he explained how his dog ran home really well and what times he was running and I thought that was obviously the dog to beat.

“I was at a BBQ that night and had to break away and watch the race on my phone.

“Valpolicella was pushed off the track early and then just ran around them and took off. Steel Gunn took off after her and I thought, ‘Here goes, he will run her down.’

“But she just kicked away from him. She ran home in a really fast time.

“And that was exactly what I was looking for. Then I knew for sure that she would stay.

“Tony (Zammit) had said almost from the start that Valpolicella didn’t had have a lot of pace, but had a good finish.

“Tony never gets carried away. He always stays calm. But I have no doubt from those early stages he knew that she could cover more ground.

“I certainly was happy for Tony to make all the decisions. I never tried to push him one way or the other.

“We certainly discussed things. He is a very astute man and there’s no way that I would try to tell him what to do. That will never happen.

“A couple of times early in her race career I suggested that maybe she was ready to step up in distance and Tony would say, ‘No, she’s not racing well enough in a field yet. I want her to learn more’.

“And that is why he didn’t step her up into the Nationals. He said there was no doubt that she could stay, but she wasn’t ready for that hustle and bustle of the really good dogs.

“I wasn’t in a hurry and Tony certainly wasn’t either.

“I did suggest to Tony early that it would be great if she ended up in the Sydney Cup. And as it turns out that is what is happening.”

 Bechini started training dogs when he was at university in his late teens.

Over the years he says he has owned or trained a few handy dogs, ‘but nothing as good as Valpolicella’.

Bechini isn’t letting his hopes and dreams get ahead of reality, however there is no doubt the planets are aligning.

“I am normally very hard when assessing my own dogs,” he said.

“But I believe she (Valpolicella) is the closest that I am going to get to a Group One winner.

“It is also special that she is being aimed for the Sydney Cup. The very first staying race I ever saw live as a boy was the 1973 Sydney Cup, won by Miss Hi Lo.

“From that moment I have always wanted to win the Sydney Cup.

“I would just describe this whole experience as surreal. It is like a dream come true.

“I have always wanted a stayer of that class and to finally get one that can compete in these major races … just to compete is good enough to be honest.

“I just love the whole atmosphere of it.

“I just hope Valpolicella realises the potential that she has.

“Yes, I would love it and it would also be great for Tony to have another Group One winner.

“I have every bit of faith in him. He is an extremely good person to work with. I wish I had met him years ago.

“You learn so much from him. He is a wealth of knowledge.

“I hope he takes her all the way.”