Jose beats the best

By Paul Pickering
CATANI hobby trainer Graeme Jose beat the best – and upstaged his boss – to win his first Group One trophy at Sandown Park on Thursday night.
Jose’s supreme two-year-old Mantra Lad blitzed a classy field to win the Sandown Cup (715m) by nine lengths, earning his connections the $100,000 winner’s purse in Australia’s most prestigious – and richest-ever – staying race.
The Longwarry footy coach got his start in the greyhound game as a handler for Devon Meadows trainer Darren McDonald, and, fittingly, the master mentor was one of the first to congratulate his apprentice on Thursday night.
McDonald’s hope, Vintage Octane, was among those left in the Lad’s wake, alongside challengers from the kennels of Jason Thompson, Wayne Vassallo and Peter Giles.
Mantra Lad, affectionately known as ‘Chad’, started as a $2.20 favourite after a winning his heat in a smoking 41.99 seconds.
He jumped sluggishly from box eight in the final, before pushing up beside Wayne Vassallo’s Sirocco Hero on the home straight first time around.
The reigning National Distance champion put his nose in front rounding the turn and was never threatened, extending his lead down the back and cruising past the post to clock a race-record time of 42 seconds flat.
An emotional Jose hugged his dog repeatedly during the presentations, but stopped short of giving McDonald the same treatment.
“I’m not going to kiss him, but I can’t thank him enough,” Jose joked.
“Darren has taught me a lot and that’s probably why I’m going so well, because of his guidance along the way.”
It’s been a breakthrough month for Jose, with his first Group One triumph coming just three weeks after his other dog, Nathalie Rass, caused a major boilover to win the Group Three Lizrene Classic.
He recently started working for McDonald on a full-time basis, and now stands as a big-race winner in his own right.
“It’s just a thrill to beat the best trainers in Australia,” he said.
“They’re professionals and I’m just a hobby trainer.”
Jose handpicked Mantra Lad from a five-pup litter bred by Sydney owners Martin and Fiona Hallinan and he hasn’t stopped marvelling at the dosile dog’s achievements.
Mantra Lad proved his sprinting credentials by winning the Group Three Shootout at Sandown Park last year, before switching to the half-mile journey to win the National Distance Championship in Perth.
He battled an anal gland infection during the Lizrene series, but recovered brilliantly to prove his star quality last week.
“He’s almost a freak to do what he’s doing at the moment,” Jose said.
“(And) he’s probably the perfect greyhound. He doesn’t bark and he doesn’t jump around or carry on.”
Mantra Lad will now be set for a tilt at the Gold Cup in Brisbane this week.