Dyna Dave's Grand Career Comes To A Close
SENSATIONAL NZ chaser Dyna Dave can be considered the classiest greyhound to race in New Zealand without ever winning a group race title.
And in all probability, the winner of 38 races and $284,210 in stakes will not after sustaining a serious injury at Addington last Thursday afternoon putting stud duties firmly on the agenda.
Contesting a 645 metre event, Dyna Dave, a son of Dyna Villa, faulted with just under a lap of his home track to run and a post-race vet examination revealed injuries which Roberts explains.
“His main issue is to a stopper bone tendon, which can be a real hassle to recuperate from, especially with an older dog,” Roberts said.
“That means I will probably retire him as I certainly will not flog him around. He doesn’t deserve that.”
Dyna Dave is raced by Brendan Wheeler and he was shipped across the Tasman in December 2017 as an unqualified chaser.
He quickly indicated the immense ability he possessed when he charged through the grades with strong finishing efforts, characterising his racing style.
During his 94-race career Dyna Dave qualified for eight Group 1 finals with four seconds (including two $125,000 New Zealand Cups) being his best placings.
He was New Zealand’s inaugural representative in the Australian National Sprint Championship, where he delivered a superb third placing in the Perth hosted 2019 finale.
Just prior to that Dyna Dave powerfully annexed the $60,000 Amazing Chase Final, which is the Kiwi version of the Speed Star match race series.
“Dave has been a phenomenal greyhound throughout his career,” Roberts beamed.
“Sure, he wasn’t a quick box dog, however very few greyhounds could hold out his strong finishing efforts. For a while he was in a class off his own – how about the 11 occasions he ran under 30 seconds over 520m at Addington?”
Asked to label what he considered Dyna Dave’s best race, Roberts didn’t hesitate to nominate his third placing in the National Sprint.
“He endured a horror trip from Christchurch to Perth meaning I could only give him one Cannington trial. It was an amazing effort by him to run third.”
Roberts has enjoyed a long and hugely successful association with greyhounds bred and raced by the Wheeler family.
In more recent times Dyna Vikkers (Barcia Bale – Crystin Bale) won the 2015 New Zealand Cup and the 2016 Auckland Cup and $226,925 in stakes and the litter brother to the outstanding Dyna Double One was named as the 2016 NZ Greyhound of the Year.
Dyna Dave has already covered his first bitch, mating the handy Victoria Vikkers, a daughter of Dyna Vikkers.
Dyna Weslyn (Kelsos Fusileer – Xylia Allen) is the current NZ Greyhound of the Year with her forte being over the extreme staying distances.
Her greatest career victory came when she strongly claimed the prestigious 2019 Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Collar.
The winner of $165,075 was then returned to the Wheelers where she has since a whelped a litter of five to Magic Sprite.
“I wouldn’t mine training a couple of them,” quirked Roberts.
“Dyna Dave has been a professional greyhound throughout his career – he never stopped trying and he is as keen as today as what he was when he commenced racing.” But the one great New Zealand racing mystery remains unanswered – how the hell didn’t Dyna Dave ever win a group race title!
By Peter Fenemor written for The Greyhound Recorder
