GREYHOUND trainer Steve Heggs from Neath near Cessnock would happily take Taree's track with him every time his charge, Blue Redemption starts.
"He loves the grass,'' Heggs beamed after Blue Redemption scored a comfortable 1.5 length win in the Keith Schmitzer Memorial Final raced at Taree on Wednesday.
"There's not too many of them (grass tracks) around now. There's some more meetings coming up at Muswellbrook so I'm hoping to get up there and back on the grass.''
Blue Redemption ($2.30 favourite) jumped from box eight and had the 314 metre race in hand midway up the home straight. The event is one of the major races on the Taree calendar.
Tiny Sparkle ($9.50), trained by Keith Schmitzer's nephew, Kerry Schmitzer finished second with Dodge The Heat ($6), trained by Vince Cassar third.
The winner clocked 18.06 for the journey, to that point the fastest time of the day.
"I was pretty confident today,'' Heggs said.
"He only had to jump half as well as he did last week (in the heat) and he was going to burn them off by halfway through. They've still got him written down as a risky box dog in the paper, but I don't know how by the way he's been jumping the last six or seven starts.''
Heggs came to a Taree meeting for the first time last Wednesday for the Schmitzer final qualifying heat and says he'll be back.
"These people are the best I've ever encountered in a race track,'' he said.
"They're lovely.''
Blue Redemption will start again on Saturday night at The Gardens.
"He's out of the four box, it's a 4/5th grade but he's got every chance I reckon,'' Heggs said.
The winner pocketed $3000 for the effort.
