Burmans optimistic about new Big Boy from line

By Jordan Gerrans

Mary Burman has been ‘flabbergasted’ by the recent sharp improvement of emerging youngster Big Boy Bentley but deep in the back of her mind, she knew it would eventually come.

Big Boy Bentley faces the toughest test of his young career on Thursday evening in the Queensland Winter Greyhound Racing Carnival as he starts in the QGOLD Rookies Final.

Big Boy Bentley – who is not yet two years of age - comes from the Burman kennel’s famous line through former quality dog Champagne Sally.

Raymond is listed as trainer while Mary is labelled as the owner of Big Boy Bentley but in reality it is a team effort.

Champagne Sally produced current kennel star Blue Hornet who – like Big Boy Bentley – did not set the world on fire in his early trials.

So, when Big Boy Bentley was not exactly firing in his first looks around Albion Park over 520 metres, the experienced conditioner was not too worried.

“I had that in the back of my mind,” Mary said of Blue Hornet’s early performances.

“He is following on in the same path as that.
“I am not saying he is going to break a track record or anything but just in the way Blue Hornet continued to improve, this dog has done the same thing.

“Sometimes the penny just has to drop and it looks like it has with him.”

After that slow start, Blue Hornet eventually progressed through the grades and broke his mother’s track record around the Ipswich track.

Blue Hornet set the fastest time ever recorded around Ipswich late last year at 29.83 seconds in an almost 12 length romp victory.

The Burmans’ Champagne Sally was a quality bitch on the track and she just keeps delivering in retirement, as well.

Blue Hornet has become a regular Group 1 level contender for the team.

The Burman kennel have enjoyed outstanding success through their breeding line over the generations.

It started with Up And Down when the bitch was whelped back in 2000 and has progressed through to top dogs such as Blue and Super Hornet, among many others.

Mary is eager to see if Big Boy Bentley can continue his upward trajectory.

“He did not show me a lot early on but just enough to show me that there was something there,” the respected conditioner said.

“He showed me enough to say that he would come good.

“His improvement every week has really got me flabbergasted, to be honest.

“He was struggling a bit early on and could not break 31 seconds at Albion Park and subsequently he is now down to 30 seconds dead.

“He has just improved and continued to improve with every run I have given him lately.”

The blue dog - Big Boy Bentley – booked his spot in Thursday’s Final with a strong performance in last Friday’s heat where he stormed home to win by nine lengths.

With just four starts under his belt before Friday, the son of Tommy Shelby ran home in 29.98 seconds - a best of the night time - after jumping from the five.

He will again contend with the yellow rug in Thursday’s QGOLD Rookies Final.

Four of the Tommy Shelby and Champagne Sally litter have made it to the races with Big Boy Bentley the star of the group so far, bringing in $12,105 in stakes from five starts.

Litter mate Humble Hornet is already a two-time winner as well from four starts.

“I have faith in the breed, obviously,” Mary said.

“But, it is just about learning how fast they are sometimes.

“I was tickled pink with the run on Friday of Big Boy Bentley and I got the improvement I was hoping for. He shows determination once he gets out of the boxes.”

Mary believes Ryan Ayre’s That's Nuts will be hard to hold out in Thursday’s Final after drawing the one alley.

Big Boy Bentley will commence from the five when the lids rise on Thursday just as he did in the heats and Mary thinks that if he can find the lead in the early stages, then that’ll be his best chance of upsetting That's Nuts.

That's Nuts raced through the recent rich Vince Curry series at Ipswich and boasts three wins from his four public starts. 

Having just ticked over to three years of age in recent days, Blue Hornet (box one) is also in action on Thursday evening at headquarters in the Final of the QGOLD Winter Chase over 600 metres.

The consistent Blue Hornet has raced well throughout several QGOLD events in recent years.

Kennel mate Jewel Bee (box three) will also contest the QGOLD Winter Chase.

The Queensland Winter Greyhound Racing Carnival builds momentum on Thursday night with seven QGOLD Finals.

The QGOLD program has now become the popular curtain-raiser at both Albion Park-based Summer and Winter Carnivals.

More than $200,000 in prize money is on offer this week.