2018 BAYROAD QUEEN SA STAYER’S CUP
In cold conditions last night at Angle Park the final of the Bayroad Queen SA Stayers Cup was run in front of a big oncourse crowd. After the final was affected by scratchings only four greyhounds greeted the judge with outsider Legit Boss storming home to win at the juicy odds of $21.00 for trainer Kim Johnstone.
After gradually stepping up in distance since arriving from Western Australia the Spiral Nikita x West On Bluebird chaser was having her second start locally over the staying trip and put it all together last night for her first win on SA soil.
As the start was affected race favourite On Fire for Cameron Butcher, Zudactyl Monelli for leading local trainer Tony Rasmussen and Victorian visitor Moment To Rumba for Matthew Lanigan quickly showed out with Legit Boss drifting just in behind the speed. Leaving the front straight to the end of the back straight the trio of leaders challenged each other hard with less than a length separating them at any given time while Legit Boss gradually began to make ground. With a bit of crowding in the lead of the back straight Legit Boss made her move quickly whipping around the outside to run to the front turning for home. On Fire kept coming in the straight however Legit Boss went home strongly to win by 1 ¼ lengths in a solid 44.04 from On Fire while Moment To Rumba claimed third another 1 ¼ lengths away.
Legit Boss has now won 4 races from her 33 lifetime starts including 5 minor placings and prizemoney just over $15,000.
This year and for future years the Stayer’s Cup has been named the Bayroad Queen Stayer’s Cup in recognition of one of the State’s best stayers. Bayroad Queen competed in the early 80’s and in 1982 she won the National Distance final breaking a 13 year dominance of NSW and Victoria. She also won the equivalent of the Association Cup at Harold Park and Sandown Cup at Olympic Park and was named the SA Greyhound of the Year. She broke the Angle Park track record on two occasions inside a month and at the peak of her powers she was considered the best stayer in the country.
