Racing: Cecilia Lloyd keeping up mother's good work

Greyhound racing's latest inductee to the $50,000 stakes club will be a short-priced favourite to add a further $5400 to his already impressive tally when the Auckland Gobis Regional Final is decided at Manukau tonight.

Cecilia Lloyd became the 24th dog in New Zealand to achieve the feat when he won the group two Pedigree Advance South Island Championship at Addington last Friday, pushing his earnings to $56,797 from 56 starts.

The dog, who also won the group one New Zealand Championship Cup at Addington last November, is now the hot tip to be accorded the ultimate honour at the Astro Teddy New Zealand Greyhound of the Year awards dinner in Christchurch on July 27.

A 29th career win in tonight's $10,000 feature for New Zealand-bred greyhounds nominated for the Greyhound Owners and Breeders Incentive Scheme will underline that claim.

Lloyd's dam, Cecilia Bale, was named as Greyhound of the Year in the 1996/97 season. She begins tonight's racing in fourth place in the dams' premiership just five wins from the leader, Pure Mistress, who is represented by Rubenesque in the Gobis feature.

From trap 2 Cecilia Lloyd should advance his mother's cause. Canterbury trainer John McInerney, who has trained 205 winners this season and will win the premiership, has flown the dog north as his sole representative at the meeting.

McInerney is part of the 12-strong Pellet Christmas Syndicate that races the country's leading canine. Aucklander Geoff Pellett manages the syndicate.

Cecilia Bale was Pellett's introduction to greyhound ownership and he invited a number of friends and family to share in the progeny of his champion bitch.

The biggest threat to Cecilia Lloyd tonight should be Aqua Fling.

He will also advance to the $50,000 club if he finishes first or second for his Canterbury owner and trainer, John Goode.

Last month, Aqua Fling won the Christchurch Gobis Regional Final but could not contest the Wellington edition through injury, leaving the way clear for Rubenesque to win at Hutt Park.

Cecilia Lloyd missed a number of opportunities to win the biggest share of the $200,000 in Gobis payments during the season because of a hairline fracture of the hock, but he is likely to claim the final big cheque to complete the scheme's inaugural season.