IN-FORM Porky Royale steps up to 3rd-4th Grade this week at Albion Park in a 600m field certain to best a test for him.
But the John Corrigan-trained son of Royal Assassin-Porky’s Girl certainly has been in great form since he switched to 600m racing in recent weeks winning three of four starts.
That included a handy 35.55 win last Thursday night beating Eragon.
The dog is one of two Corrigan has in his kennel and he trains Porky Royale, the winner of 11 races from 43 starts, for Brendan, Mark and Willie Northfield.
“I’ve trained a few dogs in the past for the Northfields (Mitchell and Cheryl) and their boys race this dog between them,” said John.
The Northfields sometimes get overloaded with dogs and that was the situation when Mitchell approached Corrigan to train Porky Royale.
It was back in March and Porky Royale won first-up at the Gold Coast for his new kennel.
Corrigan knew he had something of a middle distance hopeful when he ran Porky Royale in a 600m race at Kempsey some months ago.
“He had not been on the track but he ran 37.96 which was just two-tenths off the track record,” he said.
The dog won a middle distance race during the Grafton carnival and then came to Albion Park for the three 600m wins.
“They haven’t been kind to him putting him in a 3rd-4th grade, but he’s been winning and you don’t get to those grades unless you are,” said Corrigan.
The trainer expects Porky royal will even get further with more racing.
Corrigan, from Grafton, has been training greyhounds for 47 years.
“I’m originally from Taree but I’ve moved around NSW a bit as manager of a retail store,” he said.
For the past 27 years he has lived in Grafton and he’s been retired for the past nine.
Porky Royale has drawn well in box two on Thursday night but comes up against a handy field of middle distance gallopers.
These include Heza Puzzle, Bay Cavalier etc.
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