By Isaac Murphy
Versatile sprinter Shot Clock will be given one last crack to post time at Albion Park on Thursday night after Terry Medcalf confirmed she will be retired after Thursday's Winged Runner Trophy Final.
Shot Clock has been one of Queensland’s most outstanding greyhounds over the past two and a half years showing the ability to win over the 331 dash and also run a sizzling 520 sprint at Albion Park culminating in nineteen wins at almost a fifty percent strike rate.
But it’s not all about the numbers for full-time house painter part-time trainer Medcalf, who is preparing the bitch for the next chapter of her life.
Medcalf said Shot Clock has been a huge part of his family's lives over her brilliant career, but the time was right to call it a day as a race bitch.
“I’ve talked to all the family who are all heavily invested in the her emotionally and financially and Thursday night is going to be her last dance,” Medcalf said.
“She’s due to come on season and also turns four on the twentieth, she’ll be shooting for win number twenty on Thursday night, it would be a ripping way to go out.”
Shot Clock is due to make Thursday night her time after a career plagued by injury and bad timing were the only things stopping her from reaching greater heights.
“She’s been a hard luck story this bitch, at her best I really believe she would be a Group winning greyhound, she just hasn’t caught a break through injury or coming on season,” Medcalf said.
“I certainly would have liked to see her get a crack at this race at three years old rather than four, but as she showed last week she can still turn it on and if she does she’s a good chance of winning.”
Shot Clock’s number one female rival over her career has been Craig Hazelgrove’s well performed Wise Misty and while Shot Clock got the best of their battle last week, Wise Misty comes up with the red this week presenting a different challenge.
“I was hoping Wise Misty would have drawn wide, but I wanted the two and got it so I’m not complaining,” Medcalf said.
“A lot depends on Wise Misty though, she can either explode out or miss it, if she gets it right we’re probably in a little bit of trouble.”
“The other bitch I’m very wary of is Regal Topaz for Greg Stella, I’ve got a lot of respect for Greg as a trainer and he’s got that bitch flying at the moment she could very well be a factor from the pink.”
If Shot Clock had run poorly last week Medcalf was ready to pull the pin, but the performance convinced him to give her one last chance to chase that winning feeling before she becomes a brood bitch.
“I actually wanted to retire her a couple of months ago, she has enough prize money to sustain her breeding for a long time and hopefully produce a few good litters.”
“She came from a fantastic litter Fabregas and Cool Pyjamas, Rattle Snake and Galleon have gone on to have top career’s as well, fingers crossed the trend continues.”
“Shotty has always been the darling, her attitude and temperament are amazing she’s the whole package, a couple of tenths quicker she could have figured in any race you could get your hands on.”
The bitch has become more than just another dog in the kennel for Medcalf, giving the part time trainer the thrill to keep going.
“The prize money has been fantastic, but it’s nothing compared to the feeling of her winning, some of the races she’s got up and won at have been a marvel,” he said.
“She’s what gets you through those long days at work, knowing that once you get to the kennels she’ll be there barking, jumping around ready to go.”
“You could walk in down in the jumps and she’ll cheer you up, it’s been a pretty special journey.”
Medcalf said Shot Clock versatility to win as a pace maker and a back marker from the 331 up to the 520 has made her a hot commodity with potential Sire’s, but the self-confessed hobby trained is determined to keep her in house.
“We’ve had a number of offers to breed with her, one recently from Melbourne for a fair amount of money, but it’s not about that for us she means too much to us to sell up,” he said.
“We don’t breed a lot, only every couple of years and keep our own stock, I can only hope we get one half as good as her one day.”