No Boo In Billy's Group 1 Gold Bullion Prospects

DAVE Burnett admits that as he gets to 60 he is scaling down his greyhound racing exploits, but he has a group 1 target on Thursday night at Albion Park as a send-off and a thank you.

Victorian Burnett has Boo Boo Billy (Barcia Bale-Thanks Cheryl) running out of box four in the Gold Bullion (520m) taking on a bunch of ‘The Creek' locals who he says “know every speck of sand on the track”.

“And that is with a dog who has not even won a city race yet,” said Dave.

FIELDS AND FORM ALBION PARK THURSDAY NIGHT

Boo Boo Billy is the product of a damline Dave and the late Cheryl Fleming nurtured and took to great heights.

It is the damline of Melbourne Cup winner and stud success Silver Chisel.

“I raced Boo Boo Billy's grandmother and when Cheryl died in 2014 I inherited a litter of pups by Magic Sprite from Silver Avenue,” said Dave.

“I named one of the bitches Thanks Cheryl and it is obvious why. She won 19 races.

“Also in the litter was My Silver Chisel who won nine races and was placed in a Queensland Derby and a finalist in a Silver Chief and a WA Derby.”

Group 1 @GarrardsHnH Gold Bullion Heat 5 520m

1st: Hara's Herbie (2) – 29.64
2nd: Boo Boo Billy (3)
3rd: Refulgent (1)#QLDisRacing@RaceQLD @tabcomaumedia @SkyRacingAU @GerardDaffy @Bunny_Brasch @SEN_track @MMcInallyPhotos pic.twitter.com/kQ7G7RwJrF

— Brisbane Greyhounds (@BrisGreys) January 26, 2023

Dave put Thanks Cheryl to Barcia Bale and from the moment he started work on Boo Boo Billy he was impressed.

That was until he broke a fibula which forced him off the track for four months and then took ages to get back to his best.

“His run in the heat of the Gold Bullion was great,” said Dave. “For him to run 29.75 was a pretty good effort.

“When I took Simon Told Helen to Albion Park the first time, he went 29.84.

“It was only Billy's second time on a plane and he handled the whole experience very well.”

Dave is confident Boo Boo Billy can improve for the final but knows the locals, with all that track experience, will be tough to beat.

The plan for Billy after the Gold Bullion include the Australian Cup and Perth Cup carnivals.

“I like tripping around with dogs for the big carnivals but I'm nearing 60, my business now has five stores and I employ 50 people,” he said.

“I would like to spend more time with my grandkids and do some more travelling.

“I've already cut down my kennel to four dogs.”

Cheryl Fleming's family take a great interest in the dogs Dave now races from the “Silver Chisel family”.

Dave admits he was surprised at the lack of southern interest in the Gold Bullion which has a winner's purse of $250,000.

“I did a bit of a ring around before deciding to head north,” said Dave. “Those I spoke to were not going and then Daniel Gibbons came back home with the team he had in Queensland.

“I thought it was time to go north.

“When Simon Told Helen went to Queensland for the same race it was worth $75,000 and the race had Black Opium, Hooked On Scotch from Victoria as well.”