Retired Koroit bricklayer Garry Anders is building a foundation with his giveaway brood matron, Mepunga Lana.
Anders was gifted Mepunga Lana by legendary Mepunga East greyhound breeder, Barry Smith.
“We’ve built a close friendship… I talk to Barry every second day,” Anders said.
Anders is hoping two of her progeny produce ‘good deeds’ at Warrnambool tonight.
He has 97-start veteran Wilbur Deeds (Race 10, Box 6 – 7.37pm) and his younger half-sister Beaut Deeds (Race 11, Box 7 – 7.52pm) engaged on the program.
“He (Wilbur Deeds) is my favourite greyhound… He’s rising five-years-old but is as good as he’s ever been,” Anders said. “He’s returning to full fitness and is a good place chance… He jumps okay and is pretty honest.”
A winner of 15 races, with 40 placings, Wilbur Deeds is quoted at $8.00 by expert form analyst The Watchdog. He has also raced over Warrnambool’s 390-metre short-course 19 times for five wins and nine placings. The race favourite is Pictor Lucy (Box 2) at $2.00.
Meanwhile, Beaut Deeds (who is also contesting a 390-metre event) has raced on 49 occasions for five wins and 20 placings. She has been assessed at $15, with race favourite Confront (Box 1) at $2.80.
“She (Beaut Deeds) has had a few problems… She is a bit of a battler,” Anders said. “But she’ll appreciate her wide draw and I’d be pretty happy if she happened to run a place.”
Anders is also hoping for some ‘good luck’, as a couple of months ago he was dislodged from his quad bike while exercising his greyhounds.
“I was travelling alongside the runs and for some inexplicable reason came off the bike,” Anders said. “I fractured six ribs and dislocated a shoulder.”
A few weeks later, Anders was admitted to Warrnambool Base Hospital with septic arthritis.
“I think the quad bike accident triggered things off,” Anders said. “I couldn’t walk and was in hospital for five days.”
Anders, who has been training greyhounds intermittently for around 25 years, says his “Deeds” suffix stems from “the best greyhound I’ve trained” – Crafty Deeds, who was a finalist in the 1989 Group 1 Australian Cup.
