Leeroy Crowned Tassie's Top Dog!

HOBART Thousand hero Leeroy Rogue was crowned the 2018 Tasmanian Greyhound of the Year at a gala function held at Launceston on Saturday night.

 The event was staged in partnership with the Launceston Greyhound Racing Club and Tasracing, celebrating the 2018 Greyhound Of The Year, in the lead up to Monday night's Group 2 Launceston Cup Final, won by local star Hello Rhonda.

 Leeroy Rogue, owned and bred by Jane and Jeff Crawford in Queensland and trained by Debbie Cannan at Mangalore, enjoyed a magnificent 2018, winning 27 races – 23 of those in Tasmania with four in Queensland. He was another six times from his 35 starts in 2018.

The Big Daddy Cool and Fantasy Royale chaser boasted several major wins:

• A heat of the Dowling McCarthy Tyres Devonport Cup
• A heat and the final of the GOTBAT Division 1 Series at Hobart
• The CUB Trophy at Hobart
• The Noel Vince Memorial at Hobart
• The Jack Connolly Memorial at Hobart
• The final of the Capalaba Cup in Queensland
• The final of the Group 1 Sky Racing Hobart Thousand

Leeroy Rogue was also crowned Most Consistent Greyhound for 2018.

Other award recipients on the night were as follows:

Leading Trainer – Anthony Bullock: Exeter-based Anthony Bullock won the Leading Trainer award with 181 winners for the year to retain the title.  He has the impressive record of winning the title for 10 of the past 11 years, his only defeat in the last decade to Michael Stringer in 2013.

Leading Owner – Robyn Johnson: Robyn Johnson took out the award with 91 winners during 2018. This tally was achieved by 28 individual greyhounds.

Amongst her most prolific winners were Buckle Up Rose (12 wins), Buckle Up Axon & Buckle Up Glad (nine wins), Buckle Clint, Buckle Up Dino (seven wins).

Leading Broodbitch – Jamila Flex: Jamila Flex won the award with 16 of her progeny winning 64 races during 2018.  That progeny came from two litters, one sired by Fernando Bale and the other sired by Buckle Up Wes.

Jamila Flex is by Dyna Lachlan from Amity Bale and is leased by Robyn Johnson from Leith.

Her most prolific winners were Buckle Up Rose (12 wins) & Buckle Up Maria (seven Wins).

Leading Sire – Fernando Bale: Fernando Bale is Tasmania's Leading Sire for 2018 with 43 of his progeny winning 190 races. He had 60 of his progeny race in Tasmania during 2018.

Fernando Bale is by Kelsos Fusileer from Chloe Allen and is leased by Paul Westerveld in Victoria. His most prolific winners in 2018 were Peco Can (15 wins), Dooper (14 wins), Miss Hanigan (12 wins) and Apollo Blue (12 wins).