After 30 years away from the Geelong Greyhound track and six months back in the racing industry Gerard O’Keefe decided that the VBIS Restricted Distance was the race to target for his up and coming stayer Nicki Fields.
From box four Nicki Fields did trainer Gerard O’ Keefe and owners Michael and Darren Puleio proud by taking out top honours in the special event held over the 680 metre trip at Geelong.
The picture perfect white and blue bitch lead from start to finish, holding off two mid race surges from both Dynamo’s Miss (box six) and Feikuai Polly (box three) to win in a personal best time of 39.04.
“On Friday I was confident that she wasn’t going to get run down because she hadn’t been run down before. She has been racing really well in the country lately.” Trainer Gerard O’Keefe explained.
The daughter of Knocka Norris – Misty Fields has had 18 starts for six wins and seven minor placing’s covering distances between 515 and 715 metres.
Thursday night saw Nicki Fields return to Sandown to tackle the 715 metre distance for the first time. From box eight she showed her zippy early speed to lead the talented field of seasoned stayers. She led every where but on the line, falling just over three lengths short of a victory finishing in third place.
O’Keefe held higher hopes then expectations for his bitch in her first journey over Sandown’s 715 trip.
Nicki Fields isn’t the only chaser in her litter gaining recognition on the racetrack; brother Xtreme Knocka represented trainer Jason Thompson’s kennels in the Group One Perth Cup just a week ago finishing in fifth place.
“She has value as a race dog and a brood bitch.”
O’Keefe and his family will be hoping that his decision to retire from the Victorian Public Service after 35 years and the jump back into greyhound racing is a good one.
“I thought rather then staying at home driving my family insane doing nothing, it was better to drive them insane training greyhounds!”
Hopefully O’Keefe family love his greyhounds and gain as much enjoyment out of them as he does.
Until O’Keefe and Nicki Fields next decide to make the trip to Geelong, her well deserved VBIS Restricted Distance trophy will sit over looking the track awaiting collection.
Watch Nicki Fields Geelong win below!