Baywatch bitch to put on Queensland show

By Jordan Gerrans

If talented greyhound Summer Quinn can race up to the popularity of her namesake, then Peter Lagogiane and George Farrugia will have a high-level chaser on their hands. 

The brindle and white bitch is named after Roberta "Summer" Quinn who was one of the main characters of the popular American television show Baywatch.

The daughter of Fernando Bale has been to the races on 15 occasions for seven wins and five minor placings in the early stages of her promising career.

She finished second in a heat of the Group 1 Flying Amy Classic last week and will jump from the green position on Saturday evening on the Q2 Parklands circuit in the prestigious decider.

Despite the up-and-coming bitch making a Group 1 event and being widely regarded as greyhound on the rise, Lagogiane laughs when asked about the inspiration for Summer Quinn’s race moniker. 

The Llandilo-based Lagogiane says that no one was yet to put two-and-two together that the promising youngster was named after the former Baywatch actor.

Summer Quinn is raced by prominent greyhound owner, breeder and media identity Farrugia.

“George named her,” the top NSW conditioner said with a chuckle. 

“He said to me “I am going to send you a dog that is a pretty little thing”.

“I thought ‘here we go’. He made the dog sound exciting.”

The dog has most certainly been exciting since debuting in the middle of February.

Summer Quinn has risen through the grades sharply but even the two-time Million Dollar Chase-winning trainer admits that it has taken him by surprise.

“She is racing fairly well and there was a good reports from the breakers in the early days,” he said. 

“George sent her down to us for us to pre-train her and she just kept blossoming and growing.

“About six weeks ago, she was not even on the board to be travelling to Queensland for the carnival.”

Summer Quinn was initially selected as a travelling companion for the highly promising She's That Girl for the time-honoured Flying Amy series. 

As it turns out, the dual Group 3-winning She's That Girl finished fifth in her two starts in the Sunshine State and her less-heralded kennelmate will race for the big coin on Saturday evening. 

“She put together a couple of good wins at Wentworth Park and really put her box manners together,” Lagogiane said of Summer Quinn’s recent performances. 

“We knew she had the ability, but we were not sure if she was right upstairs yet.

“We thought we would throw her in for the trip and look, she is the one that has made the Final.

“Ever since she has come up to Brisbane she has blossomed as this is her first trip away.”

The top NSW dog man was going back and forth between his Western Sydney base and the Sunshine State in the early stages of the Queensland Winter Greyhound Racing Carnival before spending a period of time at Tom Tzouvelis’ kennel.

Summer Quinn put in a best-of-the-night 29.70 second performance at Q2 Parklands in her first look at the new facility.

She followed that up with another strong effort in Sunday’s heat, placing second behind Blue Blend, which was enough to force her way into the decider.

She was the fastest second-place finisher of the heats in 29.52 seconds.

The Flying Amy Classic is restricted to chasers that are 30 months and under in age.

Summer Quinn bolted out of the machine in a 4.95 second opening split last Sunday to lead in the early stages of the 520 metre heat. 

From the six alley in Saturday’s $225,005 event, Lagogiane says a similar hot start will be crucial if she is to be competitive in what looms as a classy event. 

“It is all about box rise with her,” he said.

“She has got a couple of favourable box draws so far but it doesn’t matter where she is boxed when she comes out and show’s that first split.

“It would be great to lead.

“I think the track really suits that style of racing.

“I think the way the track is playing and the way she races, it is all pluses for us and her.

“She has to do everything right in this race because there is that many good dogs in this race and they are perfectly boxed from around her.”

Badger's Beast from the Lagogiane kennel ran second in Sunday’s Terry Hill Straight of Origin decider from Capalaba. 

Badger's Beast heads to a heat of the Grafton Thunderbolt on Sunday. 

Lagogiane says there is a chance Badger's Beast and She's That Girl will return to Queensland later in the carnival.