Judd has edge in puppy classic

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ON GRAND final eve, the Cranbourne Greyhound Racing Club will play host to Judd.
Not dual-brownlow medallist and Carlton captain Chris Judd, but two-year-old greyhound Blues Judd.
The pup will compete for $10,000 in the Cranbourne Puppy Classic final and seasoned trainer Pearcedale’s David Crawford gives his greyhound a fighting chance.
“He didn’t run the fastest heats, a length and a half slower, then the fastest,” he said. “There are five to six very good dogs in the race, but coming out of box one gives him a chance.”
His wife, Shona, names all of Crawford’s dogs and originally named the greyhound “Judd”.
“She sent that name into the board, but I think it was already taken,” Crawford said. “So they gave the pup Blues Judd, named after the footballer of course.”
Crawford, a local trainer from Devon Meadows, has enjoyed three very good years and trained his third Cranbourne greyhound of the year in a row, with Dan Flack who finished his career with five wins, five seconds and one third from 18 starts over the 311-metre distance.
Along with the feature race this Friday, the Cranbourne Racing Club will be presenting Crawford with the Cranbourne Greyhound and Trainer of the Year award, after finishing runners up the past two years.
“Pretty happy about it. I don’t have a big kennel like Chris Johannsen, who has won it many times; he’d have up to 40 dogs, the most I ever have is 12,” he said.
“But yeah, was happy to win it. For me, it’s a real buzz.”
After dominating for the award for the past seven years, Chris Johannsen finished second with 21 wins, 22 seconds and 42 thirds, amassing 171 points, while Crawford finished on top with a stellar year with 26 wins, 18 seconds and 18 thirds, amassing 184 points.