Caption: Tony Zammit and Valpolicella after winning a heat of the Bold Trease last Saturday night at Sandown. (Photo: Jason Mckeown Photography)

By Pat McLeod

Tony Zammit can sense something special is happening.

It’s that gut feeling that has helped elevate him to where he is today, in the highest echelon of greyhound trainers in Australia.

The focus for the revered greyhound national hall of famer is his young stayer, Valpolicella, who on Saturday night faces many of the nation’s best stayers in the final of the Group 1 Bold Trease (715m) at Sandown.

What has Zammit fixated, is not so much where the dog will finish, but actually how she will race.

To date Valpolicella has come to prominence as a run-on stayer – beginning races towards the rear of the pack before surging in the second half of her 700m races.

But Zammit is sensing a possible change in that race pattern that could elevate her from good to great.

His yardstick is one of his most successful greyhounds, Trojan Tears, a distance racing marvel.

“She (Trojan Tears) was definitely a major highlight of our career,” Zammit says, as his mind rewound to the early 1990s.

“She won Group one races in Sydney and up here. She was Greyhound Of The Year in both Queensland and NSW (in 1993).

“She was a great stayer because she was very powerful, right through the race.

“She won races by being a good beginner as well as being a stayer.

“Up until now Valpolicella was the opposite, starting slowly and then finishing well.

“But what is interesting, the other night (in the Bold Trease heat) she started better – a lot better.

“So maybe her race pattern is changing.

“That is not unusual, especially in distance dogs. Sprinters normally peak at an early age, they show who and what they are while still quite young.

“But stayers are different and that is why I give them as much time as they need to show who they really are.

“I am seeing this in Valpolicella and it will be interesting to see what she matures into. I have seen dogs achieve so much more stamina and early speed as they mature.”

That’s the major reason why the 68-year-old, who is based just south of Brisbane, is so excited about what Saturday night at Sandown might reveal.

“There are very good dogs in this feature,” Zammit says.

“In fact, the four that finished in front of Valpolicella in the Topgun (at The Meadows on November 11) are in this race (Ritza Piper, Moraine Suzie, Palawa King and Zoha Bale).

“On her run in the heat I rate her chances really well.

“She is the one on the rise, just having her third look at the track (after one race and a 595m trial).

“She is a young stayer and this race on Saturday night is the best race that she has been in. If she was able to win a race like that then I would be very confident that she would be competitive in any style race that comes up around the country.

“It could be a true launching pad for this dog. She would have the potential to win so many more big races.

“The bottom line is that I see Valpolicella as a genuine chance, but this will be a great experience for her.”

Zammit points towards Zoha Bale (Mark Delbridge), Box 1, and Palawa King (Jack Smith), Box 7, as the biggest threats on Saturday night.

“Zoha Bale is probably the dog to beat because he is coming out of the one,” he said.

“He may not get that far back in running and he’s a very strong finisher. He will be the danger if he is running third or fourth around the first corner and then gets a clear run.

“Palawa King is of course a very seasoned campaigner and is also a very strong finisher, although he did come out very slow in his heat and was a long way back.

“But of course, he is a dog that can run time.

“I just hope that I am in front of them down the back straight.

“It’s been a long time since I won a Group 1 race, so this is very exciting having a good dog that can have a crack at these races.

“She has certainly come good at the right time.”