Deverell's National Distance Delight

WITH over five decades in the greyhound industry behind him, astute trainer Butch Deverell renewed his strong association with the Tasmanian Distance Championship when Wynburn Lucifer saluted in Thursday night’s state qualifier at Launceston.

WITH over five decades in the greyhound industry behind him, astute trainer Butch Deverell renewed his strong association with the Tasmanian Distance Championship when Wynburn Lucifer saluted in Thursday night's state qualifier at Launceston.

 Owned by the Wynburn Racing Syndicate and trained by Deverell, Wynburn Lucifer was sent to the traps as a $7.00 chance off box three and was up early with the leaders, before shifting back to mid-field as she entered the turn.

Racing through the catching pen and down the back, the Destini Fireball x Miss Hetti bitch began to get mobile, circling around the field as the leaders crunched together, causing a white wash as they approached the home turn.

Grabbing the lead as they came into the straight, Wynburn Lucifer swooped around the field breaking clear of her rivals to score by 1 ¾ lengths in 43.60. Race favourite Vrontios ran on strongly to grab second ahead of Times A Bonus which rounded out the placings back in third.

"She's a reliable chaser and I'm proud of her performance," trainer Butch Deverell stated.

"The further the ground the better she will go and if marathon racing was still around I think it would have been right up her alley, I've had a good affiliation with stayers in my time and Wynburn Lucifer is an out and out stayer and luck has been on her side."

Wynburn Lucifer hails from a famous staying blood line that was introduced to Tasmania in 2010.

Leigh Alexander whelped an April 2010 Head Bound x It's A She litter which produced a seven-pup mating that resulted in Beaudine, Bell Haven, Jethro, Li Li, Miss Hetti, Tiny Tilly and Zavance Man, all prolific winners in Tasmania.

Butch applied his polish to Beaudine, Jethro and Miss Hetti and all three were handy performers but it was Jethro that stole the spotlight, winning the 2011 Launceston Gold Collar and finishing second to Emerald Lee in the Launceston Breeders Classic and Illingworth Classic that same year.

The white and black chaser made his debut over 720 metres at Launceston trouncing Paper Trails and litter sister Bell Haven in the Winter Stakes, to then go on to smash the 709-metre track record at Hobart winning a heat of the National Distance in 2012.

He finished strongly in third to the great Miata in the Group 1 final, flying late beaten just 1.6 lengths.

The Hall of Fame conditioner has won the National Distance in the Apple Isle on five occasions starting way back in 1975 when Blue Stream won her first and only 722-metre race at White City, in a track record run of 44.00 beating Dusty Touch by ten lengths.

Miss Coroneagh was a home-bred star for Deverell and his late father Bill, the males in the Unique Venture x New Leila litter could barely run 300 metres, and after several attempts to place a white and red fawn bitch, they decided to keep her, and the rest is history!

The gallant bitch, rated by Butch has his second-best dog, won 46 races and represented Tasmania twice in the National Distance in 1981 and 1982 and won two marathon races in Queensland, including the prestigious Gabba Thousand.

Miss Coroneagh ran third to Shamrock Jewel in the Distance Championship at White City in 1981.

Glencoe Missy won the Distance Title for Butch in 1984 and World Crusher was the fifth of Deverell's chasers to win the state title in 2002 at White City over 742m.

Wynburn Lucifer scored her fourth win in 53 starts and giving Butch his sixth Distance State Title.

"You get to know what's needed in finding stayers, especially with how strong they can run time wise in the home-run sectionals and racing patterns, Wynburn Lucifer is a one paced bitch and her career so far over the longer journey has given her good grounding for this series," he added.

The Group 1 National Distance Championship will be staged Friday week at Sandown Park and Wynburn Lucifer has come away drawing box eight in the grand finale, going up against freakish staying brothers Tornado Tears and Rippin' Sam.

"Lucifer is in good form at present, completely sound and is high in confidence – I expect she will do us proud over in Melbourne and the owners (Englund Family) are pleased in the way she is racing and that's all you can ask for," Butch said.

Butch was close to dual representation in the Tasmanian Sprint Championship, taking the minor placings to Buckle Up Rose with Apollo Blue and Dooper.

 

 

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