In The Hub Returns To End Group Race Hoodoo

IN The Hub will continue his comeback from injury when he takes his place in the heats of the Group 2 Shepparton Cup on Monday night.

The 22 race winner injured a back muscle when he got caught up in an incident at The Meadows last November, forcing him to miss the Melbourne Cup for which he was rated one of the leading chances. 

He returned to the track with a win at Sale earlier this month, and trainer David Crawford believes he will take a lot of improvement from that run. 

FIELDS AND FORM SHEPPARTON MONDAY

"It's taken a while to get him going, he's up a bit in weight but he's travelling alright," said Crawford.

"He won at Sale a few weeks ago and that wasn't too bad a run. He's had a lot of runs in the runs at Cranbourne, they've got a long straight there, 400m, so we've put a bit of time into him. 

"I'm happy enough with his condition. He'd need to trim up a bit but I think he'll go alright." 

Despite his lack of recent racing, the Fernando Bale-Accused product has been installed favourite in the last of five Shepparton Cup heats. Should he remain favourite, it would be the 37th time in 48 career starts that he's jumped as the punter's elect. 

"I was hoping for a wide draw and he's drawn seven so I can't complain about that. He hasn't run up there for a while, but he ran this in a heat last year after getting checked early.

"He wasn't a real reliable beginner before he got injured and sometimes he didn't run up to what people thought he would, but he's never been beaten when he's led and he's beaten some very good dogs." 

Interestingly, while In The Hub has won over $115,000 in prize money, he has contested just the one group final, the Group 3 Easter Gift at Sandown in which he ran last almost 12 months ago. 

While group race success has proven elusive, the greyhound has run times to suggest he has the ability to succeed at the highest level. In The Hub has won in 29.21 or faster seven times at Sandown Park, and Crawford is eyeing the club's May features as a potential target.

"He got injured the Saturday before the Melbourne Cup heats and he goes good at Sandown. He would have been one of the chances (in the Cup) so it was a kick in the guts because you're always dreaming of winning a big one,” he added.

"It (the Harrison-Dawson) might be a chance, we've just got to see how he comes on. He's probably going to take five or six runs to get back to where he was – who knows – or he might never get back. 

"But it hasn't worried him too much so far. (Leading greyhound vet) Alistair Smith has done a fair bit of work with him, and all you can do is take advice from people like him."

"I've had it x-rayed and that since his last run and there's no sign of any issues. It seems to have healed up real good and hopefully we can get him back to somewhere near where he was.

"I'm hoping he can qualify, I wouldn't be taking him up there if I didn't think he could."

The first of five Shepparton Cup heats will jump at 8.03pm with the group 2 final to be run on Saturday 22 March.