GRAFTON trainer Des Winters landed a winning double at Wauchope’s greyhound meeting on Saturday on a day when tragedy struck the race meeting.
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A catching pen attendant had to be rushed to hospital after he smashed a leg after being struck by the lure at the end of race five. It forced the remainder of the race meeting to be abandoned.
Winters’ winning double came in races three and five with Cheeky Valley and Divorce Iminent.
Cheeky Valley (Path To Power-Letoya Valley) overcame a moderate start and used her rails box draw to forged through to the lead and then go on to win the 384m 5th Grade in impressive style.
She ran a slick 21.80 to win by two and three-quarter lengths over the heavily backed Alarmist with two and a quarter lengths to Adjustable Duke in third.
It was the bitch’s third win in succession following victories at Armidale and Kempsey in the best-of-the-day times at her previous two starts.
Winters is from Rushforth just 10kms out of Grafton where he has a 13ha greyhound property with 50 pups, racing dogs and broodbitches.
He also stands the former very smart sprinter Hoover Boy at stud.
“Cheeky Valley is the third generation of this family we have had,” Winters said.
“We got the grandmother Amy’s Bird to breed with. She was unraced but two of her sisters were sent to England where they became top class gallopers.”
Amy’s Bird produced Letoya Valley a 29.92 winner at Dapto and Winters bred her to former top flight Victorian sprinter Path To Power to get Cheeky Valley.
“The bitch showed a lot of promise when we first put her into training,” Winters said. “But she injured a pin muscle and that caused her form to drop.
“But these days the muscle has healed and she has really improved her form.”
Winters has been in greyhound racing for the past 20 years.
“I was dragged into it by a mate who bred a litter of pups and gave me one,” Winters said. “It won a few races and that got me hooked.”
Divorce Iminent (High Earner-Gifted Art) ran 22.04 to win a 4th-5th Grade over 384m for his sixth win in 38 starts. He downed Cundle Jim and Time For Magic.
It was at the end of that race that the catching pen attendant was struck by the lure.
It forced the abandonment of the Anzac Day Cup.
