By Mike Hill

LEADING trainer Tony Brett is hoping to add to his amazing Ipswich Young Guns record this month.

The Grandchester-based master conditioner has won the feature eight times since 2003 when successful with the wonderful sprinter Bogie Leigh – later to become a superstar of the track and Hall of Famer.

\”I should have at least a couple of runners in the series,\” he said. \”Hara\’s Clyde and Messy Man are still eligible.

\”Although they\’re coming back from minor injuries, they should be fit for the series. It\’s good timing for them.\”

Hara\’s Clyde will be attempting to become Brett\’s first dual Young Guns winner at Ipswich after the club introduced multi races in 2012.

The dark brindle sprinter (Fernando Bale-Hara\’s Annie) showed his potential with a powerful winning performance in the rich final in late March.

\”He\’s a really nice dog and was the youngest runner in the final,\” said Brett at the time.

Hara\’s Clyde went into the $11,200-to-the-winner final a hot fancy after clocking the fastest heat time (30.30s) seven nights earlier.

Brett would love a repeat performance in this month\’s $17,800 series (heats July 18, final July 25).

\”But it\’s a hard race to win,\” he admitted. \”You just have to look at the quality of the winners over the years, not just my dogs.\”

Brett agreed that the race has been a great stepping stone for some of his outstanding chasers.

His winners after Bogie Leigh included Quidame (2005), Princh Bar (2006), Velocity Force (2009), Regal Lauryn (2013), Aston Jadore (2016), Jury (2017) and Hara\’s Clyde.

Seven of those sprinters went on to race at Group and FFA level.

\”It\’s a great series for young dogs and it\’s been a good race for me,\” Brett said.

He attributes his success to the fact that Ipswich is his \’local\’ track.

\”My dogs are well schooled around it,\” he said.

The trainer said the Young Guns series was a great launching pad to better races.

He said it was another piece of the jig-saw in the development of young dogs.