Just The Best

JUST The Best was inducted into the Queensland greyhound Hall of Fame on Saturday night and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Just The Best (Credibility-Flying Amy) has left a lasting legacy and did it throughout the world.

His champions are headed by Australian Hall of Famer Bogie Leigh.

His stud dogs making their mark include Surf Lorian, Elite State, Big Daddy Cool.

His champions overseas include Irish Derby and Champion Stakes winner Shelbourne Aston, and English Derby winner Kinda Ready who landed that Group 1 a neck in front of Fear Zafonic who now stands at The A Team Stud where Just The Best ruled supreme.

All eight finalists in Wednesday's Group 2 Vince Curry Memorial Maiden at Ipswich carry at least one, some more, crosses of Just The Best in their pedigree.

Just The Best won the Vince Curry by 13 lengths back in 1999.

The Vince Curry finalists and their pedigree highlights are:

Box 1 and 3 the littermates DANCE A JIG and SPINDLE (Just The Best-Tad Smarter).

The pair is from one of the last matings by Just The Best and the entire litter is showing it can run like the wind - a lasting legacy of the great dog perhaps!

They also continue the successful cross of JTB with Go Wild Teddy. Go Makatam won the Vince Curry in 2007 and he was by Go Wild Teddy from a daughter of JTB.

Summer Cup winner Double Trouble is by JTB from a Go Wild Teddy bitch.

Star sprinter Nova Surf is by JTB's son Surf Lorian from a Go Wild Teddy bitch.

Dance A Jig and Spindle are from the strong Kissy Bear damline. Their fifth dam was a half sister to Temlee and it is the same damline as Bearability.

Tad Smarter was Albion Park greyhound of the year.

2 LORIAN COCKTAIL (Surf Lorian-Molotov Cocktail)

Surf Lorian, sire of this finalist, is the champion sire son of JTB.

I find it interesting that second dam Oodles carries another daughter of Temora Lee in Ima Capricorn via her son I'm Nugget.

Molotov Cocktail was a Sandown winner.

4 URBAN SPIRIT (Elgrando-Urban Mist)

This bitch has some very interesting line breeding to Gun Law Osti 3x4 and is bred on an of sorts cross to El Grand Senor.

Her dam was a very speedy galloper around Albion Park and she carries a 3x2 in-breeding to the half sisters Sobbing Sal and Street Latin.

Just The Best is found as the sire of Urban Spirit's second dam Latin Sal.

5 KISSY KISSY (Knocka Norris-Just Kissy)

One of two Vince Curry finalists with a duplication to Just The Best, coming in this pedigree 3x2. Last year's Ipswich Auction winner Iron Force was in-bred 2x3 to JTB.

Again this bitch stems from the Kissy bear damline (she is third dam of Kissy Kissy).

One of the significant aspects of this mating is the fact sire Knocka Norris has three SON strains of New Tears in his pedigree, but Just Kissy brings in a valuable DAUGHTGER strain to balance this.

6 BOGIE LE VISTA (Just The Best-Hermosa Girl)

This dog's dam Hermosa Girl is a sister to champion El Galo. The bitch won a number of races at Albion Park during a brief career on the track and this is her first litter.

Significantly Hermosa Girl carries two DAUGHTER strains of Brother Fox to sex balance the two son strains in JTB.

7 MAD MACOY (Made to Size-Real Macoy)

First-time owners have made a Group 2 final at their initial venture into the industry.

Mad Macoy is line bred 3x3 to Just The Best at the top and bottom of the pedigree.

This is a repeat mating of a litter that included Express Running the runner-up in the Vince Curry Maiden to Auriga Fox last year.

This pedigree is heavily line bred to the Bay Road Queen damline. Not only does JTB trace directly to Bay Road Queen along his tail female line, but Token Prince (another Vince Curry winner) the sire of Real Macoy, has Bay Road Queen as his third dam.

Mad Macoy has four crosses of Promises Free and three of her litter brother Nation Parade within his pedigree.

8 TOKEN BEST (Token Jet-Andash Dixie)

Token Jet won 10 straight top grades races at Albion Park and was a track record breaker. He is a litter brother to Black Enforcer the Topgun winner.

He has done well without getting much patronage until his first few litters started to race and show ability.

Token Best has steadily improved through the series.

He shows 3x3 line breeding to Head Honcho through daughters.

Token Best's dam is by JTB's son Surf Lorian but interestingly she also traces directly along her tail female line to National Queen the third dam of JTB.

Again this pedigree brings in yet another cross of Bay Road Queen (via Token Prince sire of Token Jet) the dam of National Queen.