Hoggan hopeful for two Publican Cup finalists

By Isaac Murphy

All 40 greyhounds engaged in Thursday night’s Publican’s Cup heats are classed as Fifth Grade, but there’s an art to placing your dogs in winnable races.

Kerry Hoggan has done a wonderful job winning races with Canya Kick and Where’s The Lady while still keeping them in Fifth Grade company, and the pair present as two of the most well-performed in the series.

At just 27 months, Canya Kick has shown Hoggan plenty; an Albion Park Young Guns winner who’s broken the 30-second 500-metre mark, she jumps from box six in the first heat tomorrow night looking to continue a winning streak.

“She’s going quite well winning her last three but probably the most exciting part about it is I know she can go even better,” Hoggan said.

“She’s been doing it the hard way from boxes six, six and eight and draws the six again tomorrow night, I think she’ll be an even better bitch off an inside draw.

“She hasn’t pinged the lids her last few starts but she’s found a way around them at the first turn with a bit of race sense and has worked to the line really well, the field is definitely tougher here but she maps to get a similar run.”

Hoggan said Canya Kick is an easy bitch to train; there’s no bells and whistles about her, she just goes about her business.

“She’s just an honest chaser who doesn’t put in a bad run, luck aside she’s always going to try her guts out and you can’t ask for more than that,” she said.

“She’s got all the right attributes you want in a good 500-metre race bitch, goes with them early, extends down the back and finds the line late - for a two-year-old she’s a real professional.”

Hoggan saw the Publican’s Cup on the horizon and gave Canya Kick a well-deserved break before she tries to qualify for the series final tomorrow night.

“We gave her a good nine-day break coming into tomorrow night just to freshen her up for this race, whenever you get a series like this where there’s a heat and a final and you only use up one grade you have to be in it,” she said.

“As a trainer I feel like it’s your obligation to find as many restricted and graded races as possible to bring a young pup along, maximising their potential coming through the grades.

“We’ve managed to get eight wins into Canya Kick and she still has two Thursday night Fifth Grades up her sleeve, by the time she knocks them off we’re hopeful she’ll be ready for tougher company.”

Where’s The Lady’s career hasn’t been quite as smooth as her younger kennel mate, but despite a litany of injuries, the bitch boasts a strong winning strike rate and is in some form of her own.

“We’re really pleased with the progress Where’s The Lady has made lately, going 29.93 at Albion her first run under 30 seconds was a big tick, but we always have to temper our expectations with her,” Hoggan said.

“She’s coming off a serious tendon injury and is a day-to-day proposition, we just like to see her get around safe.

“Her record speaks for itself; 13 wins and 13 minors, she can really run and is a Thursday night winner in the past.

“She always has that injury cloud over her head though which has probably been the only thing holding her back from being a week-in week-out Thursday night bitch.”

Where’s The Lady can be rapid early but does mix her box manners, if she’s on she should set the first section comfortably from box one in heat six.

“A lot rides on how she begins; she has the ability to ping the lids, I think she’s gone 5.45 to the first mark which a lot of Free For All dogs struggle to do, but she can play up in there a bit too,” Hoggan said.

“Last start she got her foot on the top of the bar at the 500-metre boxes, she was just a little bit too keen to get out and chasing and that cost her a bit at the start but hopefully she’s got that out of the way before this week.”

Nothing is a given in the series with only heat winners and the fastest three second placings going through to next week’s final, but Hoggan has her team where she wants them.

“At their best we think both can make it through to next week’s final; Canya Kick’s ability and form should take her a long way in her heat while drawing the red with Where’s The Lady is where she needs to be and if she gets on the bunny she’ll run time,” she said.

“They’re all Fifth Grade dogs so the racing is sure to be competitive, but we think we’ve been able to manage both of their careers really well where they still compete in this class where they might have a bit more ability.”