IDEA’S Girl had a Group-winning favourite to beat and the betting market against her, but when she charged home down the Capalaba straight, she delivered a breakthrough that meant far more than the odds could measure.
Her Group Two Capalaba Cup victory gave trainer Casey Dargusch and owner-breeder John Quarman their first taste of Group success, made all the more special by the greyhound who achieved it and the track where it unfolded.
“To do it at Capalaba, which is a very special track to us, and with this bitch means so much,” Dargusch said.
“She comes from my mentor’s dam line, so even more special, and so thrilled for John, her owner and breeder.
“It’s his first Group win as well.”
Sent out at $11, Idea’s Girl lined up against a field headed by $2.80 favourite Big Al’s, whose nine consecutive victories included the Group Three National Straight Track Final at Healesville in August.
The favourite’s imposing record commanded attention, but Dargusch’s chaser brought a winning streak of her own, having won her previous five starts and arriving at the 366m Bayside straight with every reason to belong.
The daughter of Ferdinand Boy and Some Idea stopped the clock at 19.56 seconds, finishing a length clear of Secret Story ($9.50), with Archer Thirteen ($4.60) third.
“It was against all odds,” Dargusch said.
“It was an amazing run, and once she was up there, we were confident she could win.”
Idea’s Girl’s record speaks to the consistency behind her breakthrough, with 35 wins and 23 placings from 78 starts, banking $251,380 in prize money.
There will be other races to chase, but this victory has its own place in the team’s history.
It’s their first Group win, John Qaurman’s first as an owner and breeder, and a connection to Dargusch’s mentor carried across the line by Idea’s Girl.
