Metung Marvel Mark 2 Hits Launching Pad
IN January 2021 the Whelan family lived their greyhound racing dream when Lakeview Walter won the G1 Silver Chief at just his seventh start.
IN January 2021 the Whelan family lived their greyhound racing dream when Lakeview Walter – their first ever runner in a Group event – won the G1 Silver Chief at just his seventh start.
Lakeview Walter, tagged the ‘Metung Marvel' after the Whelans' home town, went on to contest another three G1 events, the Melbourne Cup, Temlee and Harrison-Dawson.
The homebred son of Fernando Bale and Lakeview Maisey also won the G3 Silver Bullet and G3 The Ambrosoli, while litter brother Lakeview Cruiser ran third in the G1 Australian Cup.
FIELDS AND FORM SANDOWN PARK THURSDAY NIGHT
On Thursday night at Sandown Park, the Whelans – comprising Peter and Monique and children Harley, Luke, Lana, Christine and Brooke – look set to follow a family feature race tradition in the G3 Launching Pad semi-finals (515m).
Lakeview Emily, a younger full sister to ‘Walter', trained by Harley, was the fastest of last week's eight heat winners and will exit box one in the first of four semis.
After being beaten at her first five starts, Lakeview Emily has won five of her next eight, with two close seconds.
"She's finally putting it all together," said Harley Whelan.
"She's always had the ability, she just needed to work out how to use it. She's just been really green.
"I thought she'd win her first start, but it took her six starts to win her maiden.
"Early days and with what she's doing at the moment, I'd say she's quicker than (Lakeview) Walter.
"My brother and I wanted to give her some field experience but everything we put her against she beat easily. So we put her against a good, city class bitch and she beat it by six. She picked it up and carried it!
"I reckon that was her problem when she first started, she'd never been behind dogs before. But now she's really got into her groove."
Lakeview Emily has been electric in winning her past two.
She clocked a scorching 29.67sec at The Meadows, followed by a Best Of Night 29.27sec in her Launching Pad heat, running 5.05sec early in both all-the-way successes.
Lakeview Emily is $1.90 favourite to take out the opening Launching Pad semi and advance to Thursday week's (March 28) $150,000 to-the-winner final.
"The Launching Pad was always the plan, but it looks like a better plan now!" Harley laughed.
"After she won at The Meadows, I thought ‘Thank God, we bought a ticket for her'.
"I know she's won a couple off the pink in good time, but she wants the rail. We're definitely not going to hand it back!
"She went the quickest in the heats and she's got the box, but as long as she runs one/two on Thursday we'll be rapt. We'll work on the final after that.
"Zipping Gryllis (box 4) has early speed, but if she can run her 5.05sec, they'll have to break five to cross her and not many dogs do that.
"When we were breaking her in and in her trials, she had that early speed, but she wasn't showing it in her races. But now with more starts and more confidence she is showing it, which is nice!"
Lakeview Emily is from Lakeview Maisey's third mating, with the daughter of Cosmic Rumble producing a Bernardo litter featuring G1 Sapphire Crown finalist Lakeview Buff between the repeat Fernando Bale matches.
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