Victa Victorious
Rightly named, the ’Victa’ greyhounds are proving to be a never-ending source of victory – and enjoyment - for their owners and trainers of late. Victa Victoria’s 2019 litter have dominated the Gawler Greyhound Racing Track recently, taking out the first four in the 2021 Gawler Produce Consolation and narrowly missing the same in the 2021 Gawler Produce Final, with Victa Hayden winning the feature race, with littermates Victa Grosso in 3rd and Victa Darryl finishing 4th.
Victa Haydn with Joan and Ron Shadow
On paper, the pairing of two-time SA Brood Bitch of the Year Victa Victoria with super-sire Fernando Bale looks a winner but nothing is ever guaranteed and no doubt breeders Joan and Ron Schadow would be over the moon with how the litter whelped in May 2019 has performed on the track.
The Schadows have long had success with their breeding stock and their strong, proven Victa bloodlines have produced winners such as Victa Brooke who took out the 2013 Group 3 Howard Ashton and 2020 SA Country Cup winner Victa Boris. Victa Brooke was from Where’s Pedro and Teelah, who was also awarded Brood Bitch of the Year for Ron and Joan in both 2012 and 2013 further highlighting their success in breeding.
All 12 pups from the 2019 Fernando Bale litter are trained by Lisa and Tony Rasmussan and have been having an impact since their first race in March this year. “We are amazed at how well all of the litter are going. The future is certainly very bright still,” stated Lisa. Victa Haydn is a standout so far having taken out the Group 3 Howard Ashton and the 2021 Gawler Produce Final.
“They are all very different, the boys especially Grosso, Reid, Haydn and Mikey are very impatient, while Kurt, Daryl and Oreo are a bit more chilled out. The girls are totally different, Maggie and Buzz are the most outgoing but Saige, Emma and Florence are quiet for the most part. Such characters the whole lot of them.”
With movement between states limited due to the ever-changing COVID environment in Australia, there are still plans to take some of the current Victa litter interstate to race in Victoria, when possible. Grosso and Reid have already been to The Meadows and Sandown Park and are also eligible for the currently postponed Vic Peters Group 1 Age Classic at Wentworth Park. Though for now, Lisa stated that they are, “mainly looking forward to going through the grades and stepping up in distance with a couple of the boys.”
“We are so lucky, happy and extremely privileged to be associated with this great litter and the wonderful Schadow family that own them,” Lisa stated as they also look at what else this great bloodline may produce. “We are also looking forward to the next Victa generation with a litter of 8 from Fernando Bale and Victa Polly (half-sister to this litter and full sister to Victa Caleb, who has won 40 races, and also Victa Ashley who was a winner of 25 races including the St Leger).”
On top of this, Hot Sophie who took out the 2020 Murray Bridge Cup for Lisa and Tony, also has a litter of 11 to Barcia Bale, thanks to owner Angela Memitis offering her to the Schadow’s for a litter.
So, while this Victa litter continues to be a success for all connections, everyone will also need to keep an eye out for these future Victa litters on the horizon too!
