Double Gee Sandown Bound

QUEENSLAND'S latest boom stayer Double Gee warmed up for his tilt at Group 1 glory with a near-record final section victory at Albion Park last Thursday night.

The son of Dyna Double One-Hot Spur ran 41.64 to win the Queensland final of the National Distance running down early leader Champagne Sally with littermates Red Hot Spur and Hot Ember in third and fourth.

Trained by Selena Zammit, Double Gee finished off the state final breaking 13 seconds for his final section.

Astute clockers could remember only one other stayer breaking 13 seconds for the final section of a 710m race at Albion Park and that was greyhound of the year, Group 1 Albion Park Gold Cup winner Miss Grub.

It was pointed out that when Tornado Tears, a rival for Double Gee in the Group 1 National Distance final at Sandown on August 23, broke the Albion Park 710m track record recently, his final section was 13.13, running a record of 41.20.

Selena's husband, handler Mick Zammit, was disappointed when Double Gee later draw box seven for the National Final at Sandown.

"He's a big striding dog and from a wide draw I would have liked him to be drawn close to the fence so he goes into the first turn on the rails at Sandown," said Mick.

"And with the locals Rippin' Sam and Tornado Tears drawn boxes one and two … well, how hard are they going to be to beat?"

But Zammit says Double Gee is easily the best stayer to come out of the kennel and one of the best dogs ever for he and Selena.

"There is no weakness in him," Mick said of Double Gee. "He just does it easy in staying races. He's been a natural. He probably could have run 700 metres when he was 18 months old."

Top stayer Jalapeno broke a hock when looming up during the race.