Skip to main navigation Skip to main content

Sequana back fit and firing ahead of Albion Park return

4 August 2021

Share this page

Share on a platform

Or copy the page link

Race-9-Sequana-DSC-8534-jpg.JPGBy Jordan Gerrans

After overcoming the “scary” part of Sequana’s injury rehabilitation, Team Zammit are full steam ahead with their top bitch over the coming days.

After tearing a pin muscle around three months ago in a race at Albion Park, Sequana made her comeback to the track on Sunday at Capalaba before her return to Thursday night racing this week at headquarters.

With Sequana to be a valuable brood bitch for owner Russell Farrell once her career is over, trainer Selena Zammit was never going to take a risk with the winner of 24 career races from just 45 efforts, declaring she would be immediately retired if there was any long-term concerns.

Zammit could not have been more pleased with her first-up effort, running second to Capalaba specialist Columbian King on Sunday, and now heads towards a heat of the Queensland Sprint Championship on Thursday evening.

“It took a bit to get her back from that,” Zammit reflected on Sequana’s comeback.

“We had to give her time off for the pin to heal, then it is about getting her back fit again to race, which was six to eight weeks of straight work, and then giving her a trial to see how she is going.

“When they tear a pin, they do not necessarily tear it the whole way, so that can be a setback in them coming back into training, and when you start working them, it can tear again.

“You really want it to tear completely because if it does not, it keeps leading to more setbacks, but we were lucky with her because we were able to get it right and get her fit.”

A pin muscle is at the back of a dog’s shoulder, with the injury occurring during a race that Sequana won at the Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club, with the team behind the bitch only realising the damage the following morning when they were back at their kennel.

Sequana

Race-9-Sequana-DSE-0225-jpg.JPGThe Willow Vale trainer admits there is always concerns leading into a quality greyhounds return from injury but she was glad to see the performance down the straight track a few days ago, finishing just a length behind the red-hot Columbian King of Jamie Hosking’s.

“It can be scary for the trainer and owner when they are having their first start back from injury because you just want them to have a nice clear run with no trouble,” Zammit said.

“That is what happened on Sunday, we were very happy with her.”

After running second to Columbian King on Sunday, Sequana is now qualified for the Queensland Straight Track Championship Final on Sunday.

Her first task will be the 520-metre event from Albion Park on Thursday evening, with a call to be made if she backs up on Friday morning if she pulls up well from the second-up performance.

Sequana, who is Group placed earlier in her career, will carry the black rug on Thursday night.

“She is a brilliant bitch and if it looked like anything was going to go wrong with her, she would be retired straight away,” Zammit said.

“She would be valuable as a brood bitch for the owner so we will just take it one day at a time with her and her racing, we cannot look too far into the future as anything could happen.

“She is completely over the injury now; we should be able to go full steam ahead from here.”

The Zammit kennel have six dogs to go around on Thursday at Albion Park with See Them Try in the other heat of the Queensland Sprint Championship.

Kennel mate Oliver Keeping has also qualified for the Queensland Straight Track Championship Final after winning his heat last Sunday.

Two heats of the Queensland Sprint Championship will be run on Thursday evening at Albion Park, as part of a 12-event program.

Races

8
8

Albion Park | Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club | 9:19 PM

Qld Sprint Championship H