Budding Superstar Returns With Record Breaking Trial

POTENTIAL superstar, No Easy Beat, robbed of what appeared likely to be a great career with a severe back muscle injury, is on the comeback trail after almost two years on the sidelines.

No Easy Beat (Zambora Brockie-Lilly Sur Seine) smashed the Bundaberg 460m track record in a steward's clearance trial on Monday running 25.73.

A week ago, at his first trial since the back muscle injury on October 24, 2019, he equalled the track record of 25.94 held by Shakey Diesel and set in February last year.

He is back in training with owner, veteran dog man Kevin Bryant who is also on the comeback trail after a stint in hospital a few months ago.

No Easy Beat was trained by Rusty Dillon at Caboolture when initially in training and started just 17 times for seven wins and three placings for $38,000.

He was then the standout of his litter winning the Silver Dollars at Albion Park as a pup and running 29.60 there.

Since then, littermates Sequana (24 wins, $131,000), Stinger Noir (25 wins, $146,000), Made In America (20 wins, $45,000) and Easy Al (15 wins, $33,000) have proved just what a hot prospect No Easy Beat was at the time of his breakdown.

Rusty confirmed on Tuesday the dog's trial and the fact he would likely resume racing under Kevin Bryant's training within a week of two.

The comeback trail has been a long one.

Rusty stood the dog at stud but said this was abandoned when the dog “got stage fright” when mating bitches.

“So I told Kevin to just take him home and put him in a paddock and see what came of it,” Rusty said.

That he did, alongside some young pups who helped keep No Easy Beat fit.

“Kevin told me he had also used an old time remedy on the back muscle, but swore me to secrecy what it was,” he said.

“And, it has obviously worked. He would rub the back muscle daily with the secret potion.”

Rusty was full of praise for Kevin's perseverance and training.

“He is a really, really good old trainer,” he said. “Kevin started putting the dog up the straight about six weeks ago.”

Rusty admitted he had given up on the dog's chances of making a comeback after almost two years on the sidelines.

“It's quite remarkable to get him back,” he said.

All of greyhound racing will monitor the comeback and Rusty is already looking forward to the dog coming back into his kennel in the future.