Wagga Cup Winner Up To Middle Distance Challenge

KEVIN and Margaret Keys admit luck has to fall right for greyhound trainers at times and that is certainly what happened for them with Tiggerlong Amy.

The daughter of Feral Franky-Tiggerlong Dot on Friday night downed her litter sister Tiggerlong Ruby by three-quarters of a length in the Ladbrokes Bidgee Cup (525m).

FIELDS AND FORM DAPTO THURSDAY NIGHT

The race is best known as the Wagga Cup but underwent a name change recently.

Both bitches were bred and are owned by Mick and Helen Finn who have been long-time friends and greyhound racing associates with Kevin and Margaret.

“We trained Tiggerlong Amy's mother, grandmother and great grandmother,” said Kevin today.

Chasing Amy!

It's another great finish at Wagga tonight, with Tiggerlong Amy winning the @Ladbrokescomau Bidgee Cup from Tiggerlong Ruby and Scorching Boy! It's an owner's quinella for Helen Finn, who owns both Tiggerlong Amy and Ruby ????#thedogs #greyhoundracing #bidgeecup pic.twitter.com/8gPzdliVY0

— The Dogs (@Thedogs_com_au) November 10, 2023

On Thursday night at Dapto, Tiggerlong Amy and Tiggerlong Ruby (trained by Helen Finn) run in heats of the Middle Distance Challenge (600m) and but for a rained-out meeting at Dapto last week the litter sisters would not be at Dapto.

“We had plans for (Tiggerlong) Amy to go in the Dapto heats if she missed out on getting into the Wagga Cup final,” said Kevin.

“But when the rain came and the heats were postponed until this week, it worked our right for us.”

Tiggerlong Amy and Ruby are half sisters to former group 1 superstar Tiggerlong Tonk.

Kevin rates Tiggerlong Amy hard to beat again.

“The one (Lady Stomp) has a good bit of early toe and she has brought us undone in the past,” he said.

Cumbria Kid, second to Jay Is Jay in the Million Dollar Chase final three runs back, has drawn the four at Dapto against Tiggerlong Amy.

“If you go in these sorts of races, you have to expect to come up against dogs like these,” said Kevin.

Kevin Keys bought his first greyhound as a 21 year old and he is rising 76.

“Margaret and I have been friends with Mick and Helen Finn for many years,” he said.

“It was great we could win their first Wagga Cup for them.”

It was Tiggerlong Amy's 11th win in 45 starts and she has earned $74,000.