Bowe’s surprise package through to Eric Thomson decider

By Josh Spasaro

Sometimes, greyhounds don’t inherit any racing traits from their dam or sire.

Then they can cause some pleasant surprises.

Gerard Bowe said this was the case with black bitch Terra Bella, who has won over 520 metres in her so far short track career.

This was unlike her dam Jo Jo. Jo Jo registered 16 wins from 44 starts as a sprinter for the conditioner based at Clifton near Toowoomba.

Terra Bella – with two wins from eight starts – will start from box six in the Eric Thomson Memorial Final over 457 metres at Q1 Lakeside on Saturday night.

“They look a bit alike, that’s about it. This one will run 500 metres. Jo Jo couldn’t,” Bowe said.

“She’s a bit different, but she’s a handy little bitch. Jo Jo’s still here. She’s still got one litter to have yet.”

Terra Bella turns two on May 24. The diminutive chaser showed plenty of courage to kick on the home straight and hold out To Xibalba, for Jedda Cutlack, by three quarters of a length in her heat last week, saluting in 25.39 seconds.

But, Bowe played down her chances of victory from box six in the $24,000 Final.

“You can’t be confident, can you? Box six and she’s only little,” he said.

“The bitch in the two (Salsa for Greg Stella) ran a pretty good time last week. I wouldn’t be overconfident at all.

“She’s a gutsy little thing. But, I don’t know against those big dogs on the big track.

“She’ll have a go, but it’s only wishful thinking, really.”

Bowe believes Terra Bella can have a good future, but thinks she might be more suited to the Q2 Parklands track over a longer distance.

In her brief career so far, she finished a respectable third in her Golden Chase Sprint heat over 457 metres at Q1 Lakeside on March 28.

She was two lengths behind runner-up Sironen Tiger on that occasion, who won the Vince Curry Memorial Final on February 5, before coming seventh in her semi-final.

She also came second in her Rising Stars heat on March 12, beating eventual series winner She’s All Fire, before finishing sixth in the Final.

“I think she’ll go better at Q2. Whether she’s up to top class, I don’t know that. She’ll hang around her grades and be all right,” Bowe said.

The 77-year-old veteran conditioner recently stopped his long-term service at the Clifton Post Office due to a lung cancer battle.

He was the business operator there for over 30 years, alongside wife Lavella.

“My health hasn’t been well, so we just haven’t been breeding,” he said.

“Anyhow, that’s what we’re dealt with. We’ll give it a go (fighting the cancer) and see what happens.”

Bowe added greyhound racing can bring him joy as he fights the tough hand he has been dealt regarding his health.

But, he added it can also be a great leveller after overseeing two unplaced runners – Ellie Unleashed and Swift Cannon – at Q1 Lakeside on Wednesday night.

“We’ve got four unbroken pups and six racing dogs,” he said.

“They give you a buzz when they win.”