Caption: Ipswich Club president Rob Essex.

Ipswich club wrap with MIKE HILL

MAJOR changes are being made to this year’s Puppy Auction at Ipswich.

Club president Rob Essex said last month he was hoping the changes would benefit breeders and buyers alike.

He said he was expecting the changes to be ratified at the club’s next committee meeting.

One of the new changes concerns a ‘no cap’ on buybacks at the open sale.

The club introduced two new classifications last year – ‘sale only’ pups and ‘breeder buy in’ pups.

‘Breeder buy in’ pups are not required to attend the auction, but are eligible for all the auction races.

“However, the club has changed the fee structure for these pups,” Essex said.

“A breeder or nominator, who has one or two pups, the cost is $880 per pup. Anyone with up to four pups the cost is $770 for each pup and anyone with five or more pups the cost is $660 per pup.

“But they will have to pay the full 12 per cent commission for any buybacks at the open auction.

“For example, if a pups sells for $10,000 and it’s a buyback, the nominator will have to pay the full commission – $1200.

“I’m trying to address the concerns of both breeders and buyers.

“We have to try to change the thinking of some.

“They’re not buying a dog just for one race; they’re buying a dog to potentially race for three or more years.

“Some would-be buyers have also indicated that it’s been too hard to secure a pup in recent years because of all the buybacks.

“I’m trying to come up with some solutions to make it easier for all concerned.

“We want our breeders to receive maximum price and our buyers to go home happy.

“Already indications suggest this year’s open auction could be quite strong.

“I have had a couple of breeders tell me they have a large grouping of pups to sell.

“I estimate that three have a combined total of 50 pups to offer.”

This year’s Ipswich Puppy Auction will be staged at the Ipswich track on Sunday, October 9.

Full details of new conditions for the auction will be released soon.

Meanwhile, Essex said he was extremely pleased and satisfied with the way the Ipswich club and staff had rallied after the February-March floods, which forced the closure of both the Albion Park and Capalaba tracks.

“We carried the sport for more than a month and a half, racing every day,” he said.

“We couldn’t have performed any better. We kept the industry going.

“Without Ipswich there would have been no racing in south-east Queensland from early March to late April.

“I’m very thankful that I have such a wonderful staff.

“It was a trying time for many and my staff did a superb job under tough conditions.

“All performed brilliantly … I couldn’t have asked for more.”

Essex said Racing Queensland had been a great support to his club during the ordeal.

“We had regular meetings and RQ kept us informed with up-to-the-minute information.

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CLUB secretary Di O’Donnell has reassured all that this year’s Ipswich Sweepstakes will definitely go ahead.

The Sweepstakes, in its second year, had to be postponed last month because of heavy rain and the fact that many exhibitors were flooded and couldn’t get in.

“It hasn’t been abandoned. We will definitely stage it this year,” O’Donnell said.

“We are planning for a Sunday competition.

“As soon as a date is confirmed we will inform the industry.”

She said last year’s inaugural event had been a great success.

“Our aim is to support and promote the racing industry and the greyhound, in particular, from puppy to retirement,” O’Donnell said.

“It’s important that we maintain our public exposure.”

For more information go to https://greyhoundsonshow.com.au or phone Di on 0412 544 882

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TARQUIN Neal is hoping lightning can strike twice.

The Park Ridge South-based trainer was over the moon after his sprinter Sushi Mango won the $57,500 Group 3 Ipswich Auction (520m) in April.

And with a bit of luck Sushi Mango could have gone close to landing the Auction series double.

The Neal sprinter finished fifth in the $21,000 Auction Sprint (431m) in March after being badly checked twice on the top turn while making a promising forward move.

Sushi Mango (Zambora Brockie-Smashing Sally) was one of only 10 or so genuine sale pups at the 2020 auction.

“Most of the others were buy-backs,” Neal said.

The young trainer had gone to the auction with a plan to buy a few pups.

“Every time I bid on one it was a buy-back and I couldn’t manage to buy any,” he said.

“I was talking to Jeff Crawford and he told me he and Jane were planning on selling all the Zambora Brockie-Smashing Sally litter.”

Smashing Sally had won the Group 3 Richmond Oaks and was a finalist in the Group 1 National Futurity and Group 3 Ladies Bracelet.

“I picked one of the litter and paid $5000 for him,” Neal said.

The pup, racing as Sushi Mango, already has earnings topping $57,000.

“He’s a cheap buy now,” he said.

So pleased with his pup, Neal rocked up to last year’s auction and again focused on Crawford-bred pups.

He bought three from an Out Of Range-Hazy Jane litter.

After Sushi Mango’s feature victory, Neal said with a bit of luck ‘we could be back on the winner’s dais on Auction night next year’.