DOGWATCH

IPSWICH have programmed a new race series "The Pathways Challenge” to be run over two weeks.

The heats start on Saturday, April 27, with the final on Saturday, May 4.

The series will be for 5th grade greyhounds over 520m.

Pathways races are graded in reverse order to the normal grading system, with unplaced runs considered first before placings.

The time standard for Ipswich (520m) is 31.04.

The race will be sponsored by Beenleigh Legal who currently have naming rights to the Ipswich winning post for 12 months after they were the successful sponsor in the Corporate Dollars Challenge series back in November.

The Pathways 5th grade final will carry double prizemoney to a normal pathways race.

The overall prizemoney for the final is $6830, with the winner to receive $4550.

Winning return

AS the old saying goes, patience is a virtue and that applies to Burpengary-based trainer Cliff Houston and partner Helen Sant after seeing their kennel star Jack's Black return to the track in winning form at Ipswich last Friday.

That came after almost a year away from the racetrack.

Jack's Black hadn't started since April last year where he tore a back muscle, the major muscle in the hind leg, in a race up the straight at Capalaba.

An injury such as that normally takes about three months to fully heal and given he was a rising four-year old, Cliff and Helen made the decision to retire him.

Within weeks Murray as he is affectionately known around the kennel started his rehabilitation with plenty of walking and swimming the two main components in his recovery.

During his injury, veteran greyhound guru vet Dr John Murray oversaw his progress back to recovery. After a couple of months, Dr John said to Cliff and Helen in his professional opinion the injury had healed and he felt the greyhound was ready for another preparation for racing.

Jack's Black, as with all greyhounds, loves to run. Cliff and Helen decided to take him to the Glasshouse trial track and so started the five-month preparation back to the racetrack.

At first, it was just letting him come up the straight on his own and they felt he had lost none of the keenness before the injury enforced lay-off.

They slowly increased his training schedule, eventually clocking his trials with him running times similar to what he previously ran.

He was taken to Ipswich for two slips in front of the puppy boxes, then a slip from the cover. He had a box to box 520m trial and then had to complete a stewards return to race trial which a greyhound must do if it has been away from the race-track for six months or longer and was cleared to race.

On his return last Friday at Ipswich over 431m, he led all the way running 25.18 in the fifth grade heat.

He backs up in the final today from box 1 Race 7 at 4.59pm.

Jack is most definitely back.

Calendar changes

RACING Queensland advises of group race calendar amendments for the 2019 Queensland Greyhound Winter Racing Carnival.

The following races will be run one week later in the month than originally scheduled: Group 1 Gold Cup 710m (heats June 13, final June 20); Group 3 Flying Amy Classic 520m (heats June 13, final June 20); Group 3 Superstayers 710m (Best 4 June 27).

The date changes allow the 2019 Greyhound Origin Series to be conducted at Albion Park on June 6, following Game 1 of the State of Origin at Suncorp Stadium on June 5.

Best bets

Ipswich has a 10 race program today, starting at 2.44pm. Best bet: Race 8 Box 2 Regal Recall for Tony Brett.

Ipswich races tomorrow night with a 10 race card from 5.13pm. Best bet: Race 5 Box 1 Where's The Lady for Kerry Hoggan.