Dart kennel finds another promising stayer

By Jordan Gerrans

Just like her mother was, John Dart expects promising youngster Gypsy Del to eventually progress to become a stayer chasing feature races as she moves through her racing.

Firstly, Gypsy Del will contest the Young Guns Series Final at Ipswich over 520 metres, a distance Dart believes may be a little short for his bitch, who he thinks will eventually lap up 700 metres and beyond.

The Dulguigan-based trainer prepared Tahlia's Way – Gypsy Del’s mother – to four top two finishes over 720 metres at Wentworth Park as well as victories at 600 metres and beyond at Albion Park and Casino.

Dart sees plenty of Tahlia's Way in his young black bitch, who has won seven times from her 12 career efforts.

“She looks like a stayer to me,” the experienced trainer said.

“Tahlia's Way was a rippa, we had her and her sister Neeky's Way, who won a Futurity at Albion Park, they were great dogs for us.”

Tahlia's Way claimed almost $60,000 in prize money and was Group 3-placed, in the Chairman’s Cup Final at Wentworth Park in September, 2017.

While Dart has been impressed with what Gypsy Del has been able to put together over 520 metres – running a best time of 29.95 seconds at Albion Park – he believes her best is still yet to come.

“She is going good but down the track I see her being a 600 or 700-metre bitch,” he said.

“There is some nice dogs in this race, the Young Guns Series Final, and she will be one of the youngest in the field.”

From box eight in last week’s heats, Gypsy Del copped a slight check not long after they went past the winning post for the first time and while she lost some ground, she was able to regain her momentum and pick up the leaders in her last stride.

She motored home over the final stages, which only backs up Dart’s thoughts that she will appreciate plenty more ground when she does get up to that distance.

Since the calendar rolled over to 2022, Gypsy Del has really come on, not running outside the top two in seven starts, for five victories.

The veteran trainer, who prepares 15 in his kennel, says the bitch is promising at her young age. 

“She has always had the ability but she is still only a baby at 23-months-old,” Dart said.

“We virtually started racing her straight after breaking her in and she has just got better and better every run as she has gone on.

“I was very happy with her run the other night.

“It will be about if she has the pace right now to keep up with these young dogs on Saturday night.

“She is well drawn on Saturday night, I think the eight will probably cross her so as long as there is no interference on the first turn, I think she will have a good chance.”

Dart had upwards of 30 greyhounds in his kennel in previous years but has downsized of late.

Gypsy Del comes from the same litter as rising star Black Comanche, who is trained by Greg Stella, and is running some scintillating times in the early stages of his career.

Black Comanche has been described as one of the most exciting young dogs in Australia, winning four of his first seven starts, as he has flirted with breaking track records during the Group 3 Vince Curry Maiden series earlier this year.

Gypsy Del is owned by long-time Dart kennel supporter John Mcgrory.

“We have trained dogs for him on and off for 44 years,” Dart said.

The Young Guns Series is contested over the 520-metre journey and is worth $25,000 at Listed level.

As well as Gypsy Del, Cincinnati Bill, Any Given Sunday and Tungsten Miss were also heat winners last Saturday evening.

From the kennel of leading trainer Cynthia Elson, Cincinnati Bill ran the quickest time of last week’s heats, 30.34 seconds, with Jedda Cutlack’s Tungsten Miss just a tick behind in 30.35 seconds.