By Cynthia O’brien
This Sunday 8 September will be the final events of this year’s Healesville Greyhound Association Cup Carnival.
With the carnival of racing at the Don Road complex conducting 13 race meetings and 156 races, it has been a very busy and exciting month of racing for the club and especially for local trainers Paul Jones and Maria Barber.
In the first of the major events, the inaugural National Straight Track Championship, Peter Galo took the winner’s purse of $35,000 and set a new track record.
Maria, from Hoddles Creek, bred the winner and races several of the litter mates.
This weekend, the 30th Healesville Cup will be run and Paul and Maria will have a greyhound that they train engaged in the final, with $47,000 up for grabs for the winner.
Paul is a former club president and Maria is a life member, and both are over-the-moon with the run of their greyhound Sideshow Marjen in his heat of the cup.
Starting at long odds, he saluted the judge in a smart 19.12 seconds and paid a $69.40 winning dividend.
David Jensen from Heathcote owns Sideshow Marjen.
Gates open to the public from 10.30am on Sunday, with the final programmed for Race 6 at 12.24pm.
On-course activities for the kids include mini golf, ball and crawl, a balloonist and a food van.
There’s a fully licensed bar and TAB facilities for the adults.
