Four siblings from the mating of champion sire Fernando Bale and Zipping Kelly are set to compete in the world's richest distance greyhound event, the Ladbrokes 715, at The Gardens in Newcastle. Between the eight dogs from this litter, they have achieved 89 wins, 156 placings, and earned $760,892 in prizemoney. Now, they look to boost those statistics in the $250,000 race, with the final scheduled for Friday, May 1.
Caroline Hughes Enters Three from Her Litter
Breeder Caroline Hughes has entered three greyhounds from that litter: last week's Newcastle Cup winner Vodka And Ice, West Rock Casey, and the star of the litter, Late Night News. They will be joined by a fourth sibling, Fade To Black, trained by Victorian handler Joe Comito.
Magpie Hector a Star Attraction
Another major contender is Magpie Hector, trained by Jack Smith of Forbes, who won the inaugural Ladbrokes 715 with champion stayer Miss Ezmae in 2022. Smith is hoping for a repeat performance with his new charge.
Hatzi's High Five at Broken Hill
Local trainer Kaylene Hatzi had an outstanding night at Broken Hill on Sunday, April 19, training five of the meeting's eight winners. Her winners were Visibility, Introduced, Qwerty, Vodka Sunrise, and Sweet Pea. This followed a previous meeting on April 12, where she trained four of the eight winners.
Taormina Retires
Star greyhound Taormina has been retired after a successful career. The winner of 23 races, 19 of them at her favourite track, Wentworth Park, Taormina's final start was an unplaced run behind kennelmate He's A Pearl in the semi-final of the 2026 Golden Easter Egg. She finished second in the 2025 Group One National Futurity to Laura Keeping, second in the 2025 Group Three Ladies Bracelet, and second in the 2025 Group 1 Paul Wheeler. She also made the finals of the New Sensation and Golden Easter Egg that year. Taormina retires after 51 starts and earnings of $188,590.
Blue Storm Aims for Flying Amy Classic
Trainer Ken Burnett has another promising greyhound in Blue Storm, following the retirement of Million Dollar Chase winner Power And Glory. Blue Storm, winner of the Robert Smith Memorial Maiden, recently returned from Victoria after finishing third in the Launching Pad series final. Burnett has set his sights on the $225,000 Group One Ladbrokes Flying Amy Classic in Queensland, with heats on Thursday, June 11, and the final on Thursday, June 18.
This article was produced as part of an ACM partnership with Greyhound Racing NSW.
