Daysea’s Shelly set for Capalaba run

By Josh Spasaro

Coming from a respected litter, there is no doubt that Daysea’s Shelly can run.

But, Queensland greyhound racing stalwart Claude Dacey believes she might still be a little while off her best as she prepares to line up over 366 metres at Capalaba on Sunday.

The three-year-old bitch will take one win and two runner-up finishes from her past three starts into the race on the straight grass track.

“She’s had a season and they take a while to come back and find their form again,” the Yatala-based conditioner said.

“She’s probably a month or so away from getting to her best.”

Daysea’s Shelly produced a gutsy effort to hang on for second in her last start over the same distance at Capalaba on Wednesday.

She crossed the line in 19.92 seconds, but was five-and-a-quarter lengths behind winning dog Massaro, who ran a time of 19.55 seconds for Michelle Sultana.

“She’s nowhere near what she can run," Dacey said.

“She’s usually a good beginner. She chases hard, but I don’t know if she’ll be that good.

“I know she can gallop a lot better than what she has been.”

Daysea’s Shelly will start from box four on Sunday.

In recent races, she has moved over to outside lanes after starting from inside boxes.

“That’s something she just developed. She used to be a mad railer,” Dacey said.

A litter brother of Daysea’s Shelly is Daysea’s Rory, who came fifth for champion trainer Tom Tzouvelis in last year’s Melbourne Cup and has tallied $521,123 in career prizemoney so far.

He will line up from box five in the Group 1 Temlee at The Meadows on Saturday night.

Dacey started training him before handing him on to Tzouvelis at his Park Ridge kennels in late 2024.

A quirk of the Sennachie and Nikki Nettle litter is they have to feel like they are at their best.

“They’ve got to be happy. They’ve got to want to run,” Dacey said.

“Once in a lifetime you get dogs that good. I’ve had a couple of Group dogs that could win a race here and there, but not like how Tommy’s got that other one (Daysea’s Rory) going.”

Dacey and his wife Norma raced litter dam, Nikki Nettle, who picked up 15 wins from 93 starts.

“She was a champion. She’d win short ones, long ones. It wouldn’t make a difference to her,” he said.

“She won the three distances – short, middle and long. I might’ve put her in a long distance first and then a short distance next.

“And, then a middle one. She won all three of them. Braschy (caller John Brasch) would give her a rap saying she’s versatile.

“She’s a very good girl. Always switched on and always did her best. She’s had her last litter – she won’t be having anymore.

“I’ve just mated one of her Tommy Shelby pups. I mated her to Hooked On Scotch. Just picked her up from the vet (on Thursday).”

With the 91-year-old Dacey admitting his health was on a decline, he unselfishly wants his son Robert to take on training duties for that litter.

“I’ve got a few problems. I’m hoping I can last another birthday, but I don’t know. I’m 92 in July,” he said.

“I’m having this litter now. It’s not for me; it’s for my young fella so he gets a bit more involved.”

In a testament to Dacey’s attitude and commitment to his greyhounds, he is still highly active with them despite his age while battling a rare disease.

“It’s a heart problem. It’s called amyloidosis. It’s a rare one,” he said.

“It affects the kidneys, liver and lungs. I said to the doctor the other day ‘what’s going to happen? Is my heart just going to stop beating?’

“He said ‘no, it’ll get your kidneys, lungs and liver’. But, as it is, it’s no pain. I’m very lucky at the moment.

“That’s why I want him (Robert) to have this litter because once you have a litter you really get attached to them. You spend more time with them.”