Steve White is hoping his great success with South Australian greyhounds will continue on Saturday night when Sir Truculent makes his Victorian debut in the heats of the Group Listed Fireball (725m).
White has guided SA imports Sennachie and Tauwitchere to Group glory in recent times and now the Festival State’s number one stayer Sir Truculent will add enormous interest to Saturday’s bumper Meadows meeting, headlined by the Group 1 Maturity heats.
Sir Truculent, a son of another star South Australian in Worm Burner, has been virtually unbeatable at Angle Park over the last six months.
He’s won 16 of his last 20 starts, his last six in succession, and has won a remarkable 18 of his 33 starts, with 12 minor placings, over his pet 731m distance, with owner/trainer/breeder Wally Harkins deciding to strike in Melbourne while the iron is hot.
“It got to the stage where it was time for him to test the water over here,” said Steve White, who’s based at Buln Buln East.
“He’s been here a week and a bit and as I said to Wally (Harkins) it will take him a while to settle in.
“Wally has a bad knee at the moment so it was a good time for him to come over.
“He’ll go back to South Australia in early August for the State National Distance Championship and after that he’ll venture back to Victoria for the Melbourne Cup Carnival and whatever else is on.”
After accumulating 23 wins from his 52 starts in his home state, Sir Truculent will make his first interstate appearance in the second of two Fireball heats, where he’s a $4.40 chance with TAB after drawing box three.