Greyhound analyst Brennan Ryan has grown up in greyhound racing and maintains an active interest in several positions to this day.
While racing in Tasmania is taking an enforced break, Brennan will be counting down some of his best performances starting with his top 20 Launceston Cup winners.
We’ve reached the top five and below are Brennan’s thoughts on why each dog has made their way into the top end of the countdown. Check out the rest of his selections via TasracingTV On Demand.
- Top Shiraz (Black Shiraz – Helena’s Fine)
- 65 Starts
- 45 Wins
- 6 Seconds
- 4 Thirds
This red-brindle flash became a superstar of his time with a purple pedigree to boast. Top Shiraz raced at the elite level from his first three starts winning the 1998 Hobart Breeders Classic Final beating home his well-credentialled litter mates Fine Horizon and Lady Shiraz.
Setting slick times in almost every start, the Pat McClenaghan owned, bred, and trained chaser had set multiple wins throughout his illustrious career. The list of Top Shiraz’s feature wins includes the Illingworth Classic, Tasmanian Derby, Tasmanian Sprint Championship, and a Devonport Cup.
Endeavours to win a Launceston Cup were firmly set in stone for the 2001 series. The seasoned four- year-old campaigner blitzed his rivals to win both his heat and semi-final before starting a 4/6 favourite from box two in the group three feature at White City.
In a fitting finale for his last race start of February 2001, it was scripted to be a fairy-tale ending as Top Shiraz led through the 522-metre trip to score by six and a half lengths running a smart 30.79.
Amongst his feature race achievements, Top Shiraz was acknowledged nation-wide having received an invitation to the 2000 Topgun race conducted at Sandown Park that year.
- Painted Hilux (Busy Vintage – Justa Tiv)
- 74 Starts
- 26 Wins
- 12 Seconds
- 11 Thirds
Painted Hilux was a handy performer on the track winning several races throughout his career for trainer Mick Stringer. His bloodlines have stood the test of time as litter sister Painted Vintage continued her dam Justa Tiv’s breeding success producing generations of top-class chasers.
Greg & Gary Fahey’s great broodbitch Dennes Point today continues that winning success having whelped several gallopers namely Breaker’s Tip, Just Browsing, El Grand Amigo and many more.
The son of Busy Vintage entered the 1991 Launceston Cup having won his heat by just a quarter of a length holding out top sprinter Friendly Flyer running 31.53 off box five.
Starting at 5/2 from box three in the $8,000 feature, Painted Hilux had set a commanding break leading the field out of the straight heading towards the back and proved to classy for his opposition, going away to score by five lengths from Our Falcon and Demon Gold.
Painted Hilux raced for many seasons in Tasmania and remained in-form before finishing his career.
- Fine Horizon (Black Shiraz – Helena’s Fine)
- 66 Starts
- 35 Wins
- 12 Seconds
- 6 Thirds
This white and black champion was an all distance performer hailing from a famous litter having joined her brother Top Shiraz in the Tasmanian Greyhound Hall Of Fame. Like her famous brother, Fine Horizon was bred, owned, and trained by successful Westbury-based trainer Pat McClenaghan.
The amazing 28.1-kilogram bitch made every post a winner from her initial start, and by career end had posted 35 wins, 12 seconds and 6 thirds from only 66 starts, accumulating $66,841 in prizemoney. Even winning on debut at Devonport in July 1998 by 8 lengths, and at a mere 17 months of age, this was hardly a true sign of the incredible heights she would rise to.
14 starts into her career indicated that Fine Horizon was on the rise to becoming something special.
Fine Horizon was set for the 1999 Launceston Cup at White City at just 24 months of age. She made short work of the opposition, beating Kialdu Kobe in her heat by 2 ¾ lengths running a smart 31.23. A week later she moved to box 8 for the Group Three Final, with Stumpy Ray a raging hot favourite from box 1. Starting the 3/1 second pick, she led virtually every step of the way, winning by 3 ¼ lengths from Modern Edition, with Stumpy Ray a length further back in third.
The legendary bitch defended her Cup title in 2000 winning both her heat and semi-final which saw Fine Horizon start at 4/5 on favourite from the coveted red box, she chased another star chaser in Proper Lass till the back straight before powering over the top careering away to victory.
Only Mystery Bridge and Fine Horizon hold the honour of winning the Cup in back-to-back years.
Her legendary status was completed being crowned multiple Tasmanian Greyhound of the Year.
- Capriccio (Just The Best – Maisie)
- 26 Starts
- 15 Wins
- 5 Seconds
- 1 Third
Capriccio joins an elite group belonging to champion Hall of Fame trainer Ted Medhurst’s list of multiple Launceston Cup winners claiming the 2007 series, providing the Mangalore trainer not only with a group two victory but leading the kennel to a quinella.
The fawn sprinter was noted for her electric early box speed which was her asset to winning races and from box three in the $40,000 series she led all-the-way defeating the kennelmate Winsome Lonesome and Punk Atron running well clear to a two-length victory.
Medhurst had the odds well stacked in his favour that year with five runners in the race.
- True Vintage (Busy Vintage – Little Jackie)
- 66 Starts
- 40 Wins
- 13 Seconds
- 2 Thirds
It is well documented that True Vintage is regarded as possibly Tasmania’s finest chaser.
After finishing second on debut in Hobart on October 2, 1986, True Vintage went on to amass an array of big race victories and track records that will possibly never be matched again in Tasmania.
Hall of fame trainers David & Margaret Crosswell guided the great bitch to all her wins which included a NWGOTBA Cup, Siggers Silver Trophy, Coca Cola Cup before taking home major wins.
Her first came in the Tasmanian Gold Cup tackling Bookie’s Regret in one of the more famous duels’ seen in racing. She then held out Tania Glass to win the Tasmanian Oaks before taking out the 1988 Hobart Thousand at an amazing 7/2 favourite from box one.
The major defeat to her career was the National Sprint Championship held at the Hobart Showgrounds in wet conditions which saw her lead in trademark fashion before being rundown by Fremantle Echo from Western Australia.
But she bounced back into action with a heat, semi, and Final win in the 1988 Launceston Cup. She beat Some Gain and Family Chariot in a brilliant 30.07. The only Tasmanian major she did not win that season was the Devonport Cup in which she ran third to Falcon Prey.
At one stage in that season she won 15 in a row and was a shock defeat at Hobart when going for the Australian record of 16 on the trot. It is little wonder she won the 1987-88 Tasmanian Greyhound of the Year.
Rightly she became the inaugural inductee to the Tasmanian Greyhound Hall of Fame in 2007.
Watch Brennan’s top five Launceston Cup winners below.