I'M not quite sure if Paddy Fitch can bake a decent cake, but she certainly has the right recipe when it comes to a Group quality greyhound. Paddy was no stranger to Group success when Dashing Corsair gave her the biggest of prizes by winning the Group 1 National Sprint final at Cannington early in September. She'd already raced that fine sprinter Fiery Asset the 1999 Qld Derby winner and Beenleigh track record breaker.

But she has been nurturing the damline that produced Dashing Corsair and his stylish litter brother Dashing Top Hat, since the mid 1990s.

"I raced Rose Noble and she was a good race bitch," said Paddy of the 1995 whelp by Little Denver-No Liability. The claim to fame for Rose Noble is that she was a three-quarter sister to top class race dog and champion sire Credibility, and his quality litter sister No Hostility.

That pair were by Worth Doing-No Liability. Rose Noble was a daughter of Worth Doing's in-bred son Little Denver-No Liability.

She was from a smart litter which also included Toowoomba Derby winner Too Potent, as well as Shep's Joy (2nd in Gold Coast Derby and a finalist in the National Straight Track at Capalaba).

Another sister Farmor Potent was a finalist in the Shane Taylor Memorial at Toowoomba.

Paddy remembers Rose Noble well. "She was over the top and that's why she didn't race much," she said.

Paddy put her to Dashing Eagle to duplicate that most famous of broodbitches Waroo Lass. It came 4x4 through her daughters, the three-quarter sisters Harper Valley (by Temlee) and National Lass (by Chief Dingaan who was by Temlee).

Paddy thought she might get a runner, but was more hoping for a broodbitch. "I named her Rose Regal. She was not brilliant but good enough to breed from," she said.

In the early 2000s, a fire swept through the greyhound population at Churchable and left much damage. It raced through a number of properties and didn't miss Paddy Fitch.

"I had a litter of Southern Champ* pups at the time," she said. "They were very young but I lost them in the fire. Sarah Pringle was so kind to give me a free service to Southern Champ* after I lost those puppies."

Paddy looked around and decided Rose Regal would be the bitch to go to Southern Champ. She made the decision because Rose Regal was the first bitch to come on season.

One of the bitches from the litter was named Rose Flamenco.

"She didn't do much on the track, but you must remember it was in the aftermath of the fire and we had a terrible time of it," said Paddy. "I had no hesitation in using Rose Flamenco at stud because she was beautifully balanced, very light on her feet with a lovely conformation and temperament."

Fate stepped in at this time as well.

"I'd wanted to use Malfoy and got some frozen semen to use on a bitch I had called Solo's Blondie, but unfortunately the bitch didn't take," said Paddy.

NSW studmaster John Carruthers stepped in and when Rose Flamenco came on season Paddy sent her off for a natural mating to Malfoy who was standing with Carruthers at the time.

Not long after, owner Marty Hallinan accepted an offer from China to buy Malfoy and that's where he ended up.

Paddy whelped Rose Flamenco and she produced what their breeder described as a "very nice litter". That's to say the least because there are few in the country who do not rate Dashing Corsair among the best sprinters in the land and potentially one of the great stayers.

Paddy has a number of bitches from the litter showing ability and Paddy is keeping a close watch on them for future breeding.

Rose Flamenco has a litter by Surf Lorian nearing racing age, a litter that duplicates No Liability 4x4 top and bottom of the pedigree through the half brother Credibility and half sister Rose Noble.

Paddy not only wanted to get this combination, but also wanted to replicate the mix that produced Surf Lorian's champion son Slater and his Group 1 winning brother Big Swell.

Fortress (damsire of Slater and Big Swell) is a close relation to Southern Champ*. Fortress's dam Exception and Southern Champ* third dam Memory Giver are both by Sail On II from a daughter of legend broodbitch Maythorn Pride.

(Editor's Note: Daughters of Southern Champ* would then be ideal mates for Slater.)

"I couldn't really afford the service fee to Surf Lorian but I had to make the effort," said Paddy.

Rose Flamenco has since whelped a litter of five dogs and three bitches to Shanlyn Prince that are now rising four months old. "Malfoy and Shanlyn Prince are bred very similarly," said Paddy. "Both are sons of Token Prince, and both carry Head Honcho and Ginger in the pedigree of their dam."

Paddy Fitch has a lifetime involvement in the breeding and judging of dogs. She's been in Australia since 1970 and Queensland since 1991.

Paddy says the success of Dashing Corsair is "very, very exciting". He has already been placed in a Group 2 Qld Derby and Group 2 WA Derby, been a finalist in the Group 2 Gold Coast Cup and now winner of the Group 1 National Sprint. He's run fast times everywhere he has raced.

And all the world knows he's a super stayer in the making.

Paddy Fitch should be proud, because it was she who did all the making. Rose Noble's sire Little Denver carries a 3x2 in-breeding to the brother/sister combination Zimbabwe and Chief Dingaan (Temlee-Zulu Moss).

Rose Noble also carries the famous Brother Fox/Pretty Short nick which brings in two daughters of famous broodbitch Secretly.