Caption: Trainer Tony Brett with Capalaba Anniversary Cup winner Hara’s Clyde flanked by local MP Don Brown and catcher Keith Sternberg. (Photo: Erin Cameron)

By TERRY WILSON

IT was an unusual way of doing things, but smart young dog Hara’s Clyde survived a dramatic mid-race change of course on his way to winning the Anniversary Cup (366m) at Capalaba in December.
Grandchester, west of Brisbane, trainer Tony Brett admitted after the dark brindle dog (Fernando Bale-Hara’s Annie) stormed to victory that his charge’s habit of heading to the outside of the field brought on some butterflies in his stomach.
Given Hara’s Clyde had drawn box one and jumped well to be leading after 150 or so metres, it was unusual to see it finish the race wide of every other runner.
It was at the mid-way mark that Hara’s Clyde suddenly veered to its right, crossing the field and luckily managing to do that without doing too much damage to its chances.
“From behind (the boxes) he went as straight as a die and he probably had only just enough space to cross to the other side of the track,” said Brett.
(Keep in mind that at Capalaba the lure runs up the centre of the straight track).
“Then he sort of concertinaed everyone but he was just going too good for them. But that’s his style of racing. Look at his replays on the circle and he just wants to get out wide.
“That was the biggest worry for me this time because I thought he may do that straight out of the boxes and if had done that then he was going to make a mess.”
The Anniversary Cup win, in the time of 19.67 seconds, was the second big straight track success for Hara’s Clyde this year.
In May he took the Capalaba Cup in 19.69s, so he certainly has been consistent.
Hara’s Clyde ($3.20) won the Anniversary Cup by 2½ lengths from Frankie Da Silva (Lee Wylie) with a length back to favourite Magical Trav (Terry Priest).
Hara’s Clyde had finished third behind Tough As Teak in an Anniversary Cup heat the week before, but Brett expected improvement.
“Did a bit wrong in his heat when he missed the kick and I knew he’d be a lot better dog come final time because he had that one look, a refresher of sorts,” said Brett.
Meanwhile, honours for Capalaba Trainer of the Year were heading towards Terry Priest, from Buccan (just south of Brisbane) who had set up a commanding lead with only a few race meetings left in 2020.
But Greyhound of the Year was a real battle between Columbian King (Jamie Hosking) and Raised By Wolves (James Robinson with only 10 points separating them heading towards December 31.
Columbian King copped a back injury in a heat of the Capalaba Derby and Hosking was not too sure if the points leader would be back in time to cement its GOTY lead.