Wagga trainer Chris Glascott
GREYHOUND RACING
BREAKING with routine, Wagga trainer Chris Glascott will not bother to tell the owners of Bit Of Samba to keep their money in their wallets at Wagga Showground on Sunday.
Glascott yesterday was brimming with confidence about the chances of Bit Of Samba bouncing back with a victory in the Graeme Hill Smash Repairs Stakes (400m) at the weekend.
"He's not the fastest dog I've had, but he's the hardest trier," Glascott said yesterday.
"I think he'll win."
Owned by a syndicate from Hume League club Lockhart, Bit Of Samba has managed only one minor placing in his past three starts, but Glascott is adamant the form is misleading.
"He had no luck in the two runs at Shepparton and had to work hard last week," Glascott said.
"I was actually impressed when he ran sixth at Shepparton as he got cleaned up by a 38kg dog but kept coming.
"Last week the track was heavy (at Wagga) and I might have gone a bit easy on him."
For Glascott, the prospect of Bit Of Samba returning to winning form is a perfect fit with the greyhound's enthusiastic owners.
"They turn up every week and they always have a bet," he said.
"Even last week when it was a really tough race they all had a bet.
"And it's always $50, $100 or $200. The weight of money was on him."
Starting from box seven, Bit Of Samba was forced to cover extra ground before finishing a gallant fourth behind Aqua Wolf over 400m last Sunday.
Significantly, Bit Of Samba has the perfect draw in box one this week and should be able to pounce straight to the lead.
Aside from last week's loss, the son of Bit Of Chilli is unbeaten at Wagga, boasting two wins over 320m and one over 400m in three others starts at the track.
Glascott is already planning ahead with the sprinter, nominating the lucrative Cannonball Stakes at Richmond as the goal.
"I'll give him a couple weeks' rest and take him up to Richmond to give him a look at the track," Glascott said.
"The Cannonball is the race I've wanted for him all the time."
Run over 400m, the Cannonball Stakes attracts some of the state's fastest short course speedsters, but Bit Of Samba would definitely deserve his chance.
San Isidore trained Sunlit Babe, meantime, has been scratched from the Rules Club Blue Paws Final (525m) on Sunday, allowing first reserve Uno Minks to get a start from box eight.
