CAPTION: Top WA trainer David Hobby has already won the Peter Thomas three times and is keen to win the classic again at Cannington this month.

THE PETER THOMAS (520m)

At Cannington

(Listed, $19,950 to the winner)

For WA-bred 4th/5th Grade greyhounds

Heats August 21. Final Saturday, August 28

By TERRY WILSON

A HEALTHY respect for a man once acknowledged as the best veterinarian in Western Australia makes a semi-classic race coming up at Cannington a must for premier trainer Dave Hobby.

The Listed Peter Thomas (520m) is to be held at Cannington later this month with the heats on August 21 and the $19,950-to-the-winner final on August 28.

The race is named after the late Peter Thomas, widely regarded as the best vet to have been based in Western Australia.

“I knew Peter well from way back when I was just getting into greyhounds,” said Hobby.

“He was our leading greyhound vet and the most experienced vet we’ve had in WA.

“So it’s an honour to have greyhounds in the race named in his honour and even more to win them.”

Which means Hobby is especially proud to have won The Peter Thomas three times – with Luba Monelli (2013), Bob Monelli (2016) and Neil Monelli (2017).

Hobby is based at Nambeelup, just west of Mandurah, and last year he prepared more than 300 winners.

The names of his winners is an interesting angle, a tradition that began with owner Mike Quincey and carried on ever since.

“It started years ago when it was pretty hard to get names for dogs,’ said Hobby.

“We had a bitch called Minnie Monelli and it has carried on from there.”

The classic is a race restricted to WA-bred greyhounds in the Fourth/Fifth Grade category.

The event was originally raced over 530m at Cannington but was moved to Mandurah over 490m in 2016 while Cannington was being upgraded.

It moved back to Cannington, over 520min 2017 when Hobby’s charge Neil Monelli won it.