Caption: Little Jasper, the dog that has defied the odds to be racing, won his maiden over 288m at Ipswich last week. (Photo: Just Greyhound Photos)

Weekly wrap of racing at Ipswich with MIKE HILL

PINT-sized sprinter Little Jasper has defied massive odds to be racing.

In fact, he’s lucky to be alive, let alone treading the sand of a race track.

But last week he gave young trainer Josh Priest a huge thrill when he beat ‘the big boys’ at only his third race start.

The black sprinter (Jasper The Jet-Snakey Katey) won a 288m Maiden at Thursday’s Ipswich meeting.

He is a member of the only litter racing by former smart chaser Jasper The Jet (29.68sPB at Albion Park) and the seventh sibling to win.

Little Jasper only weighs a touch over 24kgs, the result of complications from a paralysis tick bite when he was a pup.

“We almost lost him,” said Josh.

“He was just over three months old when it happened.

“His back legs were paralysed and we spent many weeks nursing him back to health.

“He couldn’t use his back legs for about six weeks.

“We had to use a sling to hold his back legs up so he could move around.”

He said members of the family were constantly with the pup throughout the ordeal.

“I never thought he would ever race,” the young conditioner said.

Josh, the son a well known trainer Terry Priest, said Little Jasper’s growth had been affected by the incident.

“He never developed a lot of muscle tone and he only weighs a bit over 24kgs,” he said.

“But he loves to run.

“I’ve always worried how he would handle getting a bump in a race, but he’s going okay.

“He got a good run from box eight on Thursday and he got a break down the straight.”

Josh, who has 16 dogs in work with his dad at their Vernor base in the Somerset region west of Brisbane, said: “We’ll keep running Jasper over the shorter course.

“And when he finishes racing, he’ll be our pet.”

GERALD Corrigan is starting to believe his promising youngster Zephyr can develop into a more than handy sprinter.

The blue chaser (Tommy Shelby-Flying Yuna) returns to a $5800 4th Grade (520m) at Ipswich on Saturday night after a courageous third behind Group performers Golden Bear and Duffman in last week’s $45,000 Young Guns Final at the same track.

“He’s giving me the impression he can match it with the good dogs,” Corrigan said during the week.

And he’s not the only one who thinks so.

Corrigan revealed he’d recently received a couple of inquiries from Sydney about the possible purchase of Zephyr.

“They asked me if I wanted to sell him,” he said.

“I said ‘No’.

“I told them: He’s not for sale.

“You don’t buy pups, bring them up and then sell them, particularly when you have a promising one.

“It’s too hard to get a good dog.”

Corrigan said Zephyr was showing a lot of strength at the end of his races.

“Even (leading trainer) Tom Tzouvelis commented at the weekend, ‘you’ve got a strong dog there’, ” he said.

“With a bit more time I think he will handle 600m.

“His mum (Flying Yuna) won over 600m and 710m at Albion Park and 630m at Ipswich and two of his brothers (Billie Cash Kid and Garrison) have won over the longer trips.”

Corrigan was highly impressed with Zephyr’s Young Guns series.

“He finished just one-and-a-half lengths behind Duffman in his heat two weeks ago and then was taking ground off the leaders in the final after being turned sideways on the first corner,” said the Lowood-based (west of Brisbane) trainer.

“He doesn’t look out of his depth against the better dogs.”

Corrigan said he was now contemplating giving Zephyr another chance against his own age in next month’s $24,000 Molly Campbell Silver Dollars (520m) at Albion Park (heats August 15, final August 22).

“He hasn’t raced in the city yet,” he said.

“I’ve got to give him a couple of trials there.

“If he goes all right I might look at the Molly Campbell.”

But first he faces a smart 4th Grade field on Saturday night.

Zephyr, drawn in box four, has the fastest PB for the trip – a 30.37s – marginally better than Hush Hush (Tony Apap, box 7) with a 30.38s.

Corrigan said Zephyr, whose career stats stand at four wins and five placings from 13 starts, had pulled up fine from last week’s run.

“We know he has early speed and if he jumps he’s in with a show,” he said.

“When he first started racing, he didn’t like getting boxed in.

“However, now it doesn’t seem to bother him.”

Zephyr’s main dangers appear to be Hush Hush, the Les Lewis-trained Bye Bye Dreamer (box 2) and the Darren Russell-prepared Aussie Courage (box 3).

TIME is running out for owners, breeders and nominees to nominate for this year’s Ipswich Golden Chase puppy auction.

With entries starting to flow in for both the buy-in and auction categories, nominees are reminded the cut-off date is only a few weeks away.

Nominations will close on Friday, August 16.

This year’s auction will be held at the Ipswich Showgrounds greyhound complex on Saturday, October 12.

Pups sold through one of the two sale categories – auction and buy-in – will be eligible for a series of races in 2026 at The Q, the new multi-million dollar, three-track complex at Purga.

A total prizemoney pool of $180,000 will be on offer for the three series.

* The Golden Chase 520m series, to be run on the Q2 track, will carry prizemoney totalling $110,000 with winning connections taking home $75,000.

* The Golden Chase 450m series, on the Q1 circuit, will offer $50,000 with $33,000 going to the winner.

*And for the first time, the Golden Chase Straight Track series will be run on the QS course with $20,000 up for grabs, $12,000 going to the winner.

The auction is open to pups whelped between October 1, 2023, and June 1, 2024.

There will also be a $10,000 bonus going to the winning breeder of the 520m series.

Nomination forms and terms and conditions are available at www.ipswichgreyhounds.com or by phoning 07 3202 2977.

*****

A GROUP of trainers, headed by Brad Belford, have rugged up winning doubles at Ipswich in the past seven days.

Belford, who recently relocated from Townsville to Churchable, was successful with Federal Remark ($2.40) and Federal Fernando ($4) last Friday and then produced another pair – Showtime Prissy ($3.40) and Lottie Bear ($5.50) on Thursday.

Darryl McGrath picked up his double with My Ernie Jay ($3.20) and Indiana Wind ($1.90 fav) last Friday, while Robert Essex claimed two on Saturday night with 520m Novice winner Dark Distance ($13) and Maywyn’s Bear ($19) in a 5th Grade 431m.

Jason Aylward and David Andrews shared the honours at Tuesday’s meeting with Aylward producing Orson Apatite ($1.90 fav) and Big Apatite ($3 eq fav), while Andrews rugged up the last two – Brownlow ($4.40) and Drop Of Red ($2.80 fav).