Price Is Right For Group 3 Golden Ticket

JOANNE Price's littermates Infrared Lad and Infrared Star have teamed up for over $250,000 in prize money and things are only getting better for the kennel with their litter sister Ash Star arriving in style from Melbourne recently.

The daughter of Bella Infrared and Vixon Lass has made it two from two since switching from Victoria and she'll look to remain unbeaten in Queensland in Thursday night's Group 3 Golden Ticket match race at Albion Park.

The bitch was broken in with her brothers at 14 months in October 2017, but that was the last time the three were together until two weeks ago after the 17-time winner forged a successful career in Victoria as part of a split litter deal.

"We went halves in the litter and that's how she ended up in Victoria,” Price said. “We split it right down the centre; I'm still a half owner of Ash Star and with the co-operation of my partners was able to get her back home for a summer tilt.

"She's been very well performed for Marcus Lloyd down in Victoria and came to us in fantastic order, running a close second to Tauwitchere over the 600 (at The Meadows) in late November before landing with us at Canungra."

Price said the new arrival had taken to her surrounds and company perfectly and was right at home with her litter mates.

"She's only a tiny little girl at about 24.5 kilos, but she's got a great disposition about her and has settled in beautifully with her brothers Infrared Lad and Infrared Star and her sister Crazy Bella; they've all got very similar natures," she added.

"Bella Infrared is a beautiful line and we actually just bought another straw the other day, so we're really looking forward to seeing what that produces.

"It's been a fun couple of weeks with her coming out and winning first up in good time (29.83) and backing up with a Group 3 heat win … we're looking forward to a really competitive race this week."

Home comforts have translated to the track for Ash Star which out gunned group one placed Nangar Diva in last week's heats to set up a match race on Thursday night with Tommy Tzouvelis' rising star Cooper Dooper in the Golden Ticket Final.

Price is both confident and weary at the same time.

"The boxes do play a part in match races and the way she's been beginning we're hoping she uses the one to punch through and lead and draw on her six hundred metre pedigree to hold Cooper Dooper at bay," she said.

"He's a quality dog, you only have to look at what he did running Simon Told Helen down to two lengths in the Derby … it's a very even match up."

Prices sights are firmly set on the Golden Ticket this week, but win lose or draw Ash Star had earned a shot at some big races on the horizon.

"We'd love to nab the Golden Ticket, but she's got serious competition in dogs like Sennachie and Sequana; whether she can get down in their 29.60 range is a big ask," Price said.

"She's shown us enough to push on through the summer to the Golden Bullion and along with her brothers may tackle the Clem Jones Cup and Group Three Golden Sands over the 600 metres towards the end of the month."

"It's fantastic to see some marquee races over the 600 metres, we were lucky enough to win the Middle-Distance Challenge with Lad a few weeks ago, but to have a Group Three on the calendar over the distance is a real chance for them to get a Group race to their name."

Price takes great pride in her line and despite her small team tasting a lot of success lately has felt the lows that come with greyhound racing as well.

"It was a bitter sweet night with three of the four winning their respective races on that Thursday … we lost their mother Vixon Lass just two days earlier who I had a great attachment to. She meant a lot to us," Price said.

"She's certainly left a legacy."

"We've just put her daughter Crazy Vixon, who was a very handy bitch in her own right to Fernando Bale, she is due in ten days so hopefully we have generations to come."