Fry has ‘throw at the stumps’ in cup heats

HADDON greyhound trainer Ashleigh Fry admits a tilt at this Sunday’s Sportsbet Ballarat Cup heats will be a massive step-up in grade for Reiko Walter, but she is willing to chance her arm.

“It’s a bit of a throw at the stumps, isn’t it? But you’ve got to be in it to win it, don’t you,” said Fry as she contemplates taking on some of greyhound racing’s big guns with her progressive Ballarat track specialist.

“To be honest, it’s an achievement that we think he is worth nominating – so it’s a big thing for the dog and certainly us.”

Fry – the wife of Group 1-winning jockey Jarrod Fry, who has been training a small team of dogs for the past eight years – was only convinced to follow through on her Ballarat Cup nomination after Reiko Walter’s win at Ballarat on Monday.

The son of Orson Allen and Reiko Star won for the sixth time in 37 career starts. He has 12 minor placings.

Crucially, he posted a career-best time over the 450m trip.

When it comes to training greyhounds, Fry has adopted a ‘progression over perfection’ mantra.

Reiko Walter – one of two dogs the Frys currently have racing trained by Ashleigh, alongside Reiko Dusty – has embodied that philosophy.

“I have had a couple of wins over the years with real battling dogs like Reiko Bolt and Ripper Reiko and I’ve just cried at the end of the race,” she said.

“Sometimes our dogs have been a bit luckless, or they have been running really well and not winning, but when they finally get over the line, you feel like you really deserve that.

“What I really love about Reiko Walter is he has just found his feet.

“We bred him, but he was with another kennel – they broke him in and raced him for a bit – but we have had him back for about nine months.

“He came home and has settled into our routine and, at the moment, he is racing as well as he ever has.

“I love when they grow in confidence and find their stride. You can see just how happy they are.”

Fry described Reiko Walter – affectionately known at home as Dennis – as a bit of a character.

“He can be a bit standoffish, particularly around people he doesn’t know, but he really loves his racing,” she said.

“It’s a bit odd…a lot of our dogs have a bit of stranger-danger and can be a bit funny at the races.

“But he just loves going to the races – everything about it.

“Out of the two, Reiko Dusty is more Jarrod’s dog and Dennis is more my dog.

“He’s a great dog, easy to do everything with – a real character. “I just love him.”

The latest in a growing line of Reikos bred by the Frys following their purchase of the matriarch of the bloodline Reiko Bale nine years ago, Reiko Walter will have form and a home track advantage on his side on Sunday.

Six of his seven wins and seven placings have been at Ballarat.

While there is no escaping the big rise in class, an undaunted Fry is daring to dream.

“He is a rank outsider…although, with the time he posted on Monday, he’s not out of his depth,” she said.

“It’s certainly something we never really thought we would have a throw at the stumps at, but he is confident and loves Ballarat. That’s two ticks in the box.

“He has posted his PB, so that’s a third tick. You don’t get much better than that, you might as well have a go.

“It’s a dream we didn’t have a week ago, but now’s his time.”

The Group 2 Ballarat Cup final will be run on Friday 30 May, and is worth $55,000 to the winner.