Winning mantra for lad

By Paul Pickering
THE Lad is back. Catani trainer Graeme Jose knew it within a fraction of a second, and it took his champion stayer, Mantra Lad, just 41.99 seconds to prove it.
The reigning National Distance champion made an emphatic return to form in his Sandown Cup heat last Thursday night, when he became just the fifth greyhound to break 42 seconds for the 715m journey at Sandown Park.
Mantra Lad ($1.70 favourite) burst out of box five to take the early lead and was never challenged, finishing some 11.75 lengths ahead of his nearest rival, Robert Britton’s Which Wabbit ($8.60).
The supreme run came as a relief to Jose, who had been unsure whether his star dog could overcome a recent anal infection in time for the big race.
“As soon as the lids opened I knew I was right,” Jose reflected on Mantra Lad’s blistering start.
“I wasn’t surprised that he won, but for him to get through (is the main thing), and he pulled up beautifully, so I’m over the moon.” Jose had his suspicions that something was wrong when Mantra Lad ran second in his heat of the Group Three Lizrene Classic last month, and he had full blood work taken after a sluggish fourth-place finish – behind kennelmate Nathalie Rass – in the final.
A course of antibiotics did the trick, with Mantra Lad striding more freely in a freakishly quick 600m trial – 33.80sec – at Geelong two weekends ago.
And after Thursday night’s performance, Jose believes his dog is the one to beat in Thursday night’s Group One final.
“I believe that if he runs to his capability, he’ll win the race,” he said.
“He’s boxed very well (drawing number eight) and should get a really good run into the race.”
The early market has Mantra Lad as second favourite – at $2.70 – behind Andrea Dailly’s Headley Bale ($2.50), Jason Thompson’s Next Top Model ($7) and Darren McDonald’s Vintage Octane ($7).
Jose’s other hope, Nathalie Rass, is listed as second reserve for the final.